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AMERICAN 
RAILROM  JOURNAL 


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NEW  YORK 


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V.  17, 1844 


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K.F.  W^NDT  LIBRARY         : 
UW  COLLEGE  OF  ENGR. 
21 5  N.  RANDALL  AVENUE 
MADISON,  Wl   53706 


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.;     .^ii^;yv.,..;:,Ba^^o-.?:;    AMERICAN    :'^;■I/^ve/^:w•;^t-^•:r  .;    .: 

RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 

:^*^f  ■  ■  MECH ANICS' MAGAZ1NE.!B^'-  ;■■  ■ 

Published  Monthly  at  23  Chambers-st   New  York,  J  ^  By  GEO    C.  SCHAEFFER,  uul 

at  92  a-year,  in  advance,  or  3  copies  for  tS.       S  ^  D.  K.  MINOR,  Editors. 

No^  1   Vol.  2   e  "  TATVTTTARV     1R44  5 Wh°l«  No.  438. 

Third  Series. 


,^\  "  JANUARY,  1844.  S'^vt.x°Vii*' 


For  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 
COST   OF  TRANSPORTATION  ON  RAILROADS.      BY  CHARLES   ELLET,  JR.  CIV.  ENO. 

:'":;;;  '-,'1' '  (Continued  from  page  362>ji  j  >•■•:•"--»''.. 

,*;  I  propose  now  to  continue  to  produce  those  detkits  of  the  cost  of  transpor- 
tation on  railroads,  which  enter  into  the  approximate  formula  for  the  compu- 
tation of  the  average  annual  charges,  preparatory  to  the  indication  of  cer- 
tain modifications,  which,  in  time,  will  be  found  necessary,  in  order  to  adapt 
the  expression  more  strictly  to  the  various  cases  which  occur  in  practice.  A 
reference  to  the  table  contained  in  a  previous  number  of  this  Journal,  (page 
348)  will  show  with  what  accuracy  the  formula,  in  its  present  state,  applies 
to  almost  every  variety  of  roads  in  the  Union. 

But  it  will  occur  to  the  experienced  reader,  that  there  are  certain  sections 
of  the  country  on  which  the  cost  of  fuel  is  exceedingly  light ;  others  where 
it  is  very  great ;  that  there  are  some  lines  provided  with  a  double  track ; 
some  on  which  the  engines  are  unusually  large,  or  on  which  the  company 
are  exposed  to  peculiar  causes  of  expenditure.  It  will  be  readily  conceded, 
therefore,  that  a  formula  strictly  applicable  to  all  these  cases,  ought  to  be  ex- 
pressed in  more  terms  than  the  mere  length  of  the  line,  the  tonnage,  the  tra- 
vel, and  the  miles  run  by  the  locomotive  engines — which  are  all  the  quanti- 
ties that  appear  in  the  rule  which  has  been  presented.  But  yet  we  have 
seen  that  that  formula,  as  it  is,  does  apply  and  give  consistent  results,  and  re- 
sults quite  close  enough  for  almost  any  useful  practical  purpose,  without  any 
correction  for  these  varying  conditions.  This  circumstance,  therefore,  needs 
explanation ;  but  before  explanation  can  be  advantageously  offered,  I  must 
lay  before  the  reader  certain  details  which  have  been  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  formula.  In  anticipation  of  this  explanation,  however,  I  may  observe 
that  the  true  cause  is,  that  these  circumstances,  which  disturb  the  action  of 
the  general  law,  have  very  little  influence  compared  with  the  value  of  the 
great  items  which  compose  the  formula.  I  shall  return  to  this  subject  again  j 
but  at  present  we  may  proceed  with  the  determination  of  the  values  of  the 
detail  of  expenses,  and  leave  the  slight  corrections  to  be  applied  in  conse- 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads. 


quence  of  these  irregularities — irregularities  chiefly  in  the  prices  of  labor 
and  materials — for  the  sequel.  The  reports  of  the  various  companies  for 
the  current  year,, will  shortly  be  published;  and  by  introducing  the  result? 
which  it  is  to  be  presumed  they  will  exhibit,  under  an  improving  system  o! 
economy,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  make  a  still  closer  approximation  to  the  truth. 
We  shall  have  also,  in  a  few  weeks,  the  results  of  the  year's  operations  on 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  railroad,  from  which  we  shall  be  able  to  veri- 
fy experimentally,  the  influence  on  the  cost  attributable  to  a  very  large  trade 
conducted  under  remarkably  favorable  circumstances. 

I  propose  to  consider  next —  '  '  ■'; 
.,v  The  Cost  of  Fuel. — It  is  obvious  t6  every  one  that  the  consumption  of  ' 
fuel  depends  on  the  construction  and  power  of  the  engine,  the  gradients  of 
the  road  on  which  it  operates,  and  the  load  which  is  conveyed.  The  cost  of 
fuel  really  depends,  in  some  measure,  on  these  circumstances,  but  chiefly,  in 
practice,  on  the  price  of  wood  ;  for  in  this  country  the  price  of  a  cord  of 
wood  is  much  mor'i  variable  than  any  other  element  which  aflTects  the  value 
of  fuel,  or  the  value  of  motive  power.  ■  :-  (--'''i''^.  ',■<- 

'  The  following  table  of  the  distance  run  by  the  locomotive  engines  in  dif- : 
ferent  parts  of  the  country,  together  with  the  annual  aggregate  expense  of'^ 
fuel,  and  the  reduced  expense,  per  mile  run,  will  serve  to  exemplify  thi»A' 
point.  -   V 

■■:-:    ■  -   -^.i:-,^-  Table  of  the  Expense  of  Fuel.     -  ■  i'^^'^*  <  '  l^i'^?% 


Nam«  of  Road. 


Georgia  road,     * 
Central  road. 
South  Carolina  road, 
Portsmouth  and  Roanoke, 
Petersburg  road, 
Baltimore  and  Ohio, 
Baltimore  and  Susquehanna, 
Utica  and  Schenectady, 
Philadelphia  and  Columbia, 
New  York  and  Erie, 
Reading  road, 
Norwich  and  Worcester, 
Western  road. 
Providence  road, 


Year. 


1842 
1842 

1842 
1842 
1842 
1843 
1842 
1841 
1842 
1842 
1842 
1842 
1842 
1842 


Distance 
mn  by  en- 
gines. 


Miles. 
152.873 
102,145 
260,324 

96,000 
131,160 
509,765 
128,349 
155,828 
261,714 

24,564 
198,055 
144,321 
397.295 
120,000 


Expense 

of 

fuel. 

Dolls. 
6,405 
4,810 

13.950 

4iroo 

8,200 
33,447 

8,981 
11,000 
22,000 

2,744 
19,002 
14,662 
50,774 
17,548 


Cost  of 

fuel  pr. 

mile. 


CIS. 

42 

47 

53 

49 

62 

66 

70 

71 

8-4 

111 

96 

102 

128 

146 


Remarks. 


South'n  roads, 
avera<~-  '^     '- 


average  5  cts. 


Roads  in  mid- 
1-    die  States, 
average  9  cts. 

^  New  England 
>        Roads, 
)  average  13  cts. 


[Note. — The  expense  of  fuel  on  the  New  York  and  Erie  road  includes 
the  cost  of  sawing,  and  the  loading  of  the  tenders.  The  engines  on  this  road, 
as  well  as  a  part  of  those  on  the  Reading  and  Western  roads,  carry  very 
heavy  freight  trains.] 

On  inspecting  this  table  we  observe  that  the  cost  of  fuel  for  each  mile  tra- 
velled by  the  engines,  increases  very  uniformly  as  we  proceed  from  south  to 
north.  We  know,  also,  that  the  price  of  wood  likewise  increases  on  the 
route,  though  not  precisely  in  the  same  proportion.     Wood  is  worth,  on  the 


Cost  of  TratuporkUion  oil  Railroads.  H 

average,  two  and  a  half  times  as  much  in  New  England  as  it  is  in  Georgia 
— ^but  there  are  roads  in  New  England  on  which  the  expenditure  for  fuel  is 
from  three  to  four  times  as  much  as  it  is  on  some  of  those  of  Georgia.  This 
difference  is  not  wholly  attributable  to  variations  in  price,  but  depends,  in 
part,  on  the  size  of  the  engines,  and  the  magnitude  of  the  trains  conveyed. 
The  engines  on  the  southern  roads,  are,  in  general,  not  quite  so  heavy,  nor 
80  heavily  loaded,  as  those  used  on  several  of  the  northern  lines — a  circum- 
stance which  somewhat,  though  not  very  materially,  influences  the  result. 
Waiving  the  influence  of  this  consideration,  and  regarding  the  engines  as  of 
nearly  the  same  average  weight  on  all  these  lines,  this  table  will  supply  us 
at  once  with  a  correction  to  the  formula,  which  we  may  apply  when  we  de- 
sire to  approximate  more  closely  to  the  actual  expenses,   ^vi'-t    '•,'>'  :;.UU 

The  formula,  for  computing  the  aggregate  annual  e^-penscs  of  a  railroad, 
is  based  on  an  average  cost  of  fuel  of  9  cents  per  mile  run.  '';"  ,  ■';~^"''j^ 
"'  In  making  the  application,  from  year  to  year,  we  shall  find  that  the  re- 
sults which  it  supplies  will  need  to  be  modified,  and  that  this  modification 
will  be  equal  to  an  addition  of  4  cents  per  mile  run  for  the  New  Engknd 
roads,  and  a  reduction  of  4  cents  per  mile  run  for  the  Southern  roads. 

Wages  of  Train  Hands. — It  is  the  practice  of  many  companies  to  in- 
clude the  wq^ges  of  enginemen,  firemen,  conductors,  breakmen,  etc.,  in  the 
item  of  fuel  and  salaries  ;  of  others  to  combine  them  with  oil  and  repairs  of 
engines  and  cars.  Indeed,  the  heterogeneous  mixture  of  items,  which  are 
presented  to  the  public  in  a  lump,  cannot  but  lead  sometimes  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  it  is  the  object  of  the  report  to  conceal  the  naked  truth.  It  cannot 
be  supposed  that  any  company  mingle  such  dissimilar  items  together  in  their 
own  books  ;  and  as  it  is  really  easier  to  copy  off  the  items  under  their  sep- 
arate heads,  than  to  add  them  together  and  present  them  in  a  mass,  it  must 
be  supposed  that  the  object  of  the  condensation  of  matter  is  to  prevent  an  in- 
timate'acquaintance  with  their  affairs.  This  inference  is  strengthened,  in 
ray  estimation,  by  the  fact  that  the  accounts  of  those  companies  which  pur- 
sue this  course,  exhibit  an  annual,  and  sometimes  vast,  augmentation  of  cap- 
ital. By  keeping  the  items  concealed,  the  public  are  forbidden  from  ascer- 
taining what  portion  of  the  ordinary  current  charges  go  to  swell  the  annual 
charge  to  construction,  and  the  deception  is  thereby  practised  longer  with 
impunity.  There  are  certainly  some  remarkable  exceptions  which  might 
be  named  as  good  models  for  imitation.  The  accounts  of  the  Georgia  road 
are  always  presented  with  clearness  and  accuracy  ;  and  though  they  might 
be  greatly  improved  by  the  addition  of  the  net  and  gross  tonnage,  ahd  travel 
conveyed  one  mile,  they  exhibit,  in  their  present  state,  a  much  better  appre- 
ciation of  the  importance  of  knowing  the  precise  and  detailed  condition  of 
their  business,  than  is  observable  in  the  statements  of  other  similar  institu- 
tions.   ..■,■,-.:;„:•-,  :-■•.",■•-■■--■_:'-,   -■.:';  :•:"•■:'-■:'■■■:-:■'■-:"■';-..■■;,-.  ■■■;-■'■;■■■■■"■.-■■:■;■■ 

The  report  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  company,  for  the  current  year, 
also  stands  out  conspicuous  amidst  the  general  confusion  j  and  as  ought  to  be 


jd  Cost  of  TransporUUion  on  Railroads,  1 

expected,  every  item  of  expenditure  on  that  line  compares  adTantageoQsIy  •' 
with  the  same  item  on  any  other  road  in  the  country. 

The  directors  of  the  Norwich  "and  Worcester  road  in  New  England, 
have  published  a  table  which  might  be  made  valuable,  but  it  is  actually  ren- 
dered almost  useless  for  want  of  the  amount  of  the  business  transacted.  The 
number  of  tons  of  goods,  and  the  number  of  passengers  conveyed  one  mile, 
ought  to  have  been  stated,  and  the  different  classes  of  wages  should  have 
been  separately  given.  It  is  of  little  use  to  tell  us  the  exact  amount  of  expen-  ;, 
ses  incurred  in  the  transportation  of  freight  without  informing  us  of  the 
amount  of  freight  transported. 

The  directors  of  the  Western  road  have  also  presented  much  valuable  do-  „ 
tail ;  but  they  have  failed  to  exhibit  the  item  of  "  services"  under  appropriate  ]- 
heads.     No  correct  judgement  can  be  formed  of  the  economy  of  the  admin-  ' 
istration  of  a  line  on  which  the  salaries  of  agents  and  superintendants,  pres- 
ident and  engineer,  train-hands  and  woodcutters,  clerks  and  ticket-men,  are 
condensed  into  one  total.     The  separation  of  this  column — the  accurate  ad- 
dition of  the  number  of  passengers  carried  one  mile,  and  the  quantities  of   : 
each  sort  of  fuel  consumed — would  render  the  report  of  this  company  a 
most  valuable  document,     t  trust  that  they  will  not  be  detered  from  continu- 
ing this  detailed  exhibition  of  their  affairs,  when  their  road  and  machinery 
begin  to  manifest  some  of  the  effects  of  time  and  use.  • 

In  conesquence  of  this  mingling  of  items,  I  am  imable  to  separate,  with 
the  desirable  precision,  the  sum  paid  on  many  roads  for  wages  to  the  engine 
hands,  from  that  paid  to  the  conductors  and  brakemen.  For  this  reason  1 
find  it  convenient  to  include  the  wages  of  all  the  train  hands  in  the  item  of  lo- 
comotive  power.  This  item  must,  accordingly,  be  expected  to  vary  with  the 
magnitude  of  the  train,  and,  somewhat,  with  the  acclivities  of  the  gradients : 
heavier  gradients  and  the  larger  trains  requiring  usually  a  greater  number 
of  breakmen.  .  - 

The  variations  consequent  on  this  cause,  are,  however,  very  small ;  and 
we  will  come  exceedingly  near  the  truth  by  this  formula, 

for  the  value  of  the  wages  to  the  train  hands,  in  cents,  for  each  mile  trar- 
elled  by  the  train — t  standing  for  the  average  number  of  tons  of  freight  in 
each  tram.  The  correctness  of  this  approximation  will  be  seen  by  a  glance 
at  the  following  table.  ••      r-r-..i^ .  -  •  -   >         ;^  |     .     ,  ,_ 


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Cost  of  Trausportation  on  Railroads. 


\                                              TABLE.                                              1 

Name  of   Road. 

Year. 

1841 
1842 
1842 

1843 

1842 
1842 

1841 

1842 

Miles  run. 

Wages 
to  train 
hands. 

Dolls. 
5,785 
17,752 
10,799 

31,161 

14,774 
12,666 

14,558 

2,814 

Wages 

P." 
mile. 

Cts. 
70 
90 
80 

61 

80 

8-3 

110 
115 

Remarks. 

Reading  road, 
Reading  road, 
Boston  and  Providence, 

Baltimore  and  Ohio, 

Eastern  road,  ^  ,^ 
Georgia  road, 

Petersburgh  road. 

New  York  and  Erie, 

83,717 
198,055 
132,229 

509,765 

184,127 
152,873 

131,160 

24,564 

With  moderate  trains. 

With  heavier  trains. 

Medium  trains. 

|[  Light  trains  and 
I    heavy  grades. 
Trains  on  both  these 
roads  are  moderate. 

The  Petersburg  road  was 
worked   at  disadvantage 
in   1810  and   1841.     •rte 
»     freight     trains     on     the 
New     York     and     Erie 
road       are        unusually 
large. 

The  average  value  of  wages,  excepting  for  roads  on  which  the  trains  are 
excessively  large,  may  be  safely  and  justly  assumed  at  8  cents  per  mile  run. 
-  Oil  and  Tallow  for  Engines. — The  expense  of  oil  is  certainly  a  very 
small  matter,  when  compared  with  the  aggregate  yearly  charges  against  a 
railroad  company ;  but  it  is  a  very  important  matter  for  every  company  to 
know  exactly  what  this,  and  every  other  item  of  expense  really  is,  and 
ought  to  be,  in  order  to  judge  of  the  possible  ameliorations  of  their  manage^ 
ment.  On  the  Georgia  road,  in  1840,  the  mere  greasing  of  the  engines 
amounted  to  more  than  4  per  cent,  of  the  aggregate  charges  of  the  compa- 
ny.    In  1842,  this  item  \^s  reduced  down  to  less  than  1^  per  cent. 

As  another  example  of  the  effect  of  the  same  sort  of  economy  in  the  de- 
tail— in  small  matters — may  be  adduced  the  curious  fact,  that  the  sum  paid 
for  oil  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  railroad  company,  in  1841^ 
amounted  to  $6,131,  and  in  1842  it  was  reduced  down  to  $2,151.  In  the  year 
1841  it  amounted  to  3f  cents  per  mile  run,  and  in  1842  it  scarcely  exceeded' 
1-J-  cents  per  mile  run  by  the  trains. 

The  expense  of  oil  is  generally  included  under  the  head,  "  fuel,  oil,  sala- 
ries,  general  and  incidental  expenses,  etc. ;"  "  fuel,  oil,  salaries,  wages,  load- 
ing merchandize,  and  miscellaneous  expenses ;"  "  wages,  fuel,  oil,  etc." 
This  method  of  condensing  accounts  is  so  general,  that  out  of  the  reports  of 
more  than  thirty  railroad  companies  for  the  year  1843,  now  on  my  table,  I 
am  able  to  select  but  the  three  following,  from  which  the  cost  of  oil,  consu- 
med by  the  engines,  can  be  obtained  separate  from  other  items. 


j                                               TABLE.                                              1 

Name  of  Road. 

Year. 

1842 
1843 
1842 

Miles  run 

by 
engines. 

153,873 
509,765 
261,744 

Cost  of 

oil  for 

engines. 

Dolls. 
1,411 

4,399 

3,104 

Cost  per 
mile 
ran. 

Remarks. 

Georgia  road, .. 
Baltimore  and  Ohio, 
Philad.  and  Columbia, 

Cts. 
9 

9 

12 

Cotton  waste  is    incladad 
in  the  charge  on  the  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio,  and  be- 
lieved    to   be     included 
in    that  of  the  Georgia 
road. 

Including  oil  for  sta- 
tionary engines. 

6. 


tfci 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads. 


This  table  would  seem  to  justify  the  assumption  of  9  mills  per  mile  runj 
for  the  consumption  of  oil  and  cotton  waste  by  the  engine  and  tender  alona 

There  is  to  be  found  a  considerable  list  of  reports  in  which  the  aggregate 
consumption  of  oil  by  engines,  tenders,  and  cars,  may  be  separated  from  all 
other  items.  I  have  also  some  manuscript  statements  from  which  these 
items  can  be  obtained.  The  following  table  exhibits  the  aggregate  cost  of 
oil  for  various  lines,  and  the  cost  reduced  to  the  mile  travelled  by  the  train. 

I  Z  TABLE.  i 


Name  of  Road. 


Central  road, 
Reading  road, 
Reading  road. 
South  Carolina  road, 
Utica  and  Schenectady 
Philad.  and  Baltimore 
Georgia  road, 
Norwich  and  Worces., 
Western  road. 
New  York  and  Erie, 
Baltimore  and  Ohio, 


Vear. 


Miles  rnn 

by 

trains. 


1842  102,145 

1841  83,717 

1842  1^8,055 
1842  260,324 
1841 1 155,828 
18421177,859 
18421153,873 
18421144,321 
1842  397,295 


1842 
1843 


24,564 
509,765 


C'st  of  oil  •  Cost  per  | 

for  eng's 

mile 

&  trains. 

Dolls. 

run. 

Cts. 

1,103 

10 

1,621 

19 

!  3,936 

20 

2,784 

11 

3,500 

22 

2,151 

12 

1,821 

12 

1,947 

14 

9,215 

23 

481 

20 

7,201 

14 

Remarks. 


Light  trains,   i  '  "  •:c' 

Heavier  trains, 

Still  larger  aver,  trains, 

Not  strictly  accurate, 
Chiefly  passe' g'r  trains. 
Trains  equal  preced'g, 
Wei't  of  trains  unkn'n. 
Heavy  trains. 
Heavy  freight  trains, 
Lighter  trains. 


The  consumption  of  oil  and  tallow  may  be  estimated,  in  general,  at  9 
mills  per  mile  run  for  the  engine  and  tender,  and  an  additional  allowance  of 
\  mill  for  each  ton  net  conveyed  one  mile.  *•'  ■'-'^'>, '  ji-  ^-1"^  i'i'-f --.T'- 

I  have  also  the  consumption  of  oil  and  tallow  for  some  other  lines,  but 
as  these  statements  manifest  great  and  censurable  extravagance,  and  cannot 
be  used  to  show  the  necessary  expenditure  on  a  well  conducted  road,  I  have 
not  included  them  in  the  preceding  list. 

Sawing  Wood,  Pumping  vVaier,  and  Loading  Tenders. — It  is  not  easy 
to  collect  facts  which  will  exhibit  the  actual  cost  of  the  items  included  un- 
der the  present  head  for  many  roads  ;  but  it  is  very  easy  to  estimate  their 
average  value  by  direct  calculation.  We  know  that  it  is  worth,  on  the  av- 
erage, about  40  cents  per  cord  to  saw  the  wood  suitably  for  this  purpose: 
and  we  know  also  that  a  cord  of  wood  is  sufficient  to  supply  the  consump- 
tion of  the  engine  while  running  about  40  miles.  It  is,  therefore,  worth 
one  cent  per  mile  run,  to  cut  the  wood  for  this  purpose.  To  load  the  tend- 
ers, where  the  business  is  regular  and  great,  is  worth  about  20  cents  per 
cord,  or  a  half  cent  per  mile  run.  The  cost  of  raising  the  water  depends 
more  on  the  conveniences  aflforded  by  the  situation.  If  we  assume  the  aver- 
age lift  at  30  feet,  the  labor  of  a  man  will  be  equal  to  raisipg  about  40,000 
pounds  per  diem.  Engines  usually  consume  from  300  to  400  pounds  of 
water  per  mile  run,  which  brings  the  cost  of  pumping  to  about  the.  j-J-jj-  of 
a  day's  labor — or  about  8  mills  per  mile  run.  These  items  make  together 
2J  cents  per  mile  run.  i  ,    1 '^.   -^K"|- 

The  result  of  experience  lor  two  roads  is  given  in  the  following'  •'  ■'-'■- 


'.•  -'.'r  -  *;    -^  .^i  ■ 


Notes  on  Pactical  Eugineenng. 


TABLE. 


Cost  of  sawing 

loading 
and  pumping. 


Name  of  Road. 


Boston  and  Providence, 
Philadelphia  and  Columbia, 


Year. 


1842 
1842 


Miles  run 

by 
engines. 

l2o;6oo" 

261,774 


Cost  pet 
mile. 


$3,266 
6,989 


27 
23 


Average,  2^  cts. 


80 


274 


Locomotive  Power. — We  have  now  gone  over  the  items  in  detail  which 
compose  the  cost  of  locomotive  power,  and  are,  therefore,  prepared  to  surn 
them  up,  and  compare  the  aggregate  of  the  averages  with  the  amount  at 
which  it  is  stated  in  the  formula,  proposed  for  the  computation  of  the  aggre- 
gate annual  expenses.     These  items  are         ;" "     ;         '^-■^':-       ' ^■ 

Cents- 
Repairs  of  engines  and  tenders  per  mile  run,      ...  70 

Fuel  per  mile  run,  ->,;,;>,.,;.  3>^^«;._.^,v>^^^  »        — 

Wages  of  train  hands  per  mile  run,      .:'^:         •  •  - 

Oil  for  engines  and  tenders,  per  mile  run,    - 
Sawing  wood,  loading  tenders,  and  pumping  water,  per  mile  run, 

Cost  of  locomotive  power  per  mile  run,  - 

It  will,  of  course,  be  recollected  that  this  result  is  independent  of  the  in- 
jury to* the  road,  which  we  have  considered  tinder  the  usual  head  of  "  extra- 
ordinary expenses*"  1  ,  .  :  ■     :  -is^^^A  .  .-       •.."   \     '  ■iv.k 

The  only  divisiojj  of  these  expenses  which  is  liable  to  material  variation, 
is  the  cost  of  fuel,  the  price  of  which  varies  with  the  localities.  I  have  al- 
ready offered  an  approximate  correction  of  this  item,  which  may  be  employ- 
ed for 'general  investigations  ;  and  shall  shortly  take  occasion  to  present  a 
more  accurate  formula  for  its  computation,  based  upon  a  very  extensive  ex- 
perience. 

It  might  seem  to  the  general  reader,  that  after  presenting  the  cost  of  re- 
pairs of  the  road,  engines  and  cars  ;  the  value  of  fuel  and  wages  of  train  hands  ; 
the  consumption  of  oil,  and  the  injury  to  the  iron,  that  there  would  remain 
but  little  more  to  adduce  in  the  premises  ;  but  I  have  yet  a  very  important 
division  of  the  subject  to  discuss,  which  is  much  too  frequently  overlooked 
in  investigations  of  this  character. 

There  are  other  extraojdinary  expenses,  and  certain  contingencies  which 
go  far  to  swell  the  annual  charges  on  every  line — without  any  exception  in 
behalf  of  the  most  favorably  situated,  or  of  those  -^hich  are  most  economi- 
cally administered.      .;v        /..;';  •;  ;,  ' 

I  proposed,  in  a  former  article,  to  offer  an  estimate  of  the  probable  expen- 
ses on  a  railroad  in  active  operation  for  the  present  year,  which  is  now  the 
object  of  much  attention  and  interest,  in  order  to  exhibit  an  application  of 
the  formula  in  anticipation  of  the  publication  of  the  company's  next  report 
I  take  the?  Philadelphia  and  Reading  railroad  for  this  purpose ;  and  assume 
that  it  will  this  year  give  transit  to  250,000  tons  of  freight,  and  40,000  passen- 
gers. The  application  of  the  formula  to  this  work — making  proper  allow- 
ances for  its  gradients  and  drawbacks,  and  facilities  for  unloading,  and  hav- 


/ 


8  .         Notes  on  Practical  Engineering.  j, 

ing  due  respect  to  its  age-j-will  produce  for  the  aggregate  expenses,  the 
sum  of  $265,000.  i  '^^^'l 

This  estimate,  of  course,  refers  only  to  the  apparent  expenses,  and  in 
eludes  no  part  of  those  reserved  charges — such  as  the  wear  of  iron — which 
are  usually  denominated  "extraordinary  expenses"  because  they  are  not  gen- 
erally of  annual  recurrence.  The  durability  of  iron  rails  I  assume  at  about 
800,000  tons — while  they  are  estimated  by  tte  enthusiastic  friends  of  the  Rea- 
ding railroad,  at  12,500,000  tons.  Where  such  immense  differences  ex- 
ist, time  must  decide  the  question.  I  trust  that  time  may  not  show  that  I, 
even,  am  too  sanguine  and  expect  more  from  the  railroad  system  than  it  is 
capable  of  rendering. 

'" "''  "  ■■■'  ■   -^fe<>' 


(To  be  continued.)  >  '.  ^V- 


NOTES   ON   PRACTICAL    ENGINEERING. ^NO.    4. 

•     ■•  .    ..    ■  '  ^       Bridges.  ^  ^'^  - 

In  looking  back  at  the  different  kinds  of  bridges  which  have  been  built 
during  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years,  it  is  obvious  that  there  is  a  fashion  which 
rages  for  a  certain  time  when  some  particular  bridge  is  generally  adopted 
for  new  structures,  but  which  soon  falls  out  of  use  and  is  succeeded  by  an- 
other temporary  occupant  of  public  favor. 

Lattice  bridges  were  much  in  vogue  some  eight  or  ten  years  since  and 
were  very  extensively  introduced  on  railways.  Where  the  span  does  not 
exceed  100  feet  and  where  the  roadway  can  be  carried  on  the  top  of  the  fra- 
ming so  as  to  admit  of  vertical  transverse  bracing,  this  plan  does  very  well. 
There  is,  in  Weale's  bridges,  an  engraving  of  one  of  these  structures  simi- 
lar to  the  bridge  over  the  Hudson  at  Troy,  built  with  double  lattice  and  for 
a  double  track  with  suspending  posts  in  the  middle.  The  span  at  Troy  is  180 
feet  and  the  bridge  is  by  no  means  stiff.  The  same  remark  may  be  applied 
'to  a  similar  bridge  of  about  the  same  span  on  the  Harlem  railway.  These 
bridges  require  very  good  horizontal  bracing  to  keep  them  in  shape,  they 
must  be  weather  boarded,  they  require  a  large  quantity  of  timber  and  they 
burn  with  a  rapidity  almost  incredible.  Thes  disadvantages  have  besn  the 
means  of  banishing  them  from  railways  in  this  country  though  an  Eng- 
lish engineer  introduced  them  on  a  railway  in  England  only  a  few  years 
since. 

A  very  ingeriious  modification  of  this  bridge  was  devised  by  Mr.  Haupl, 
of  Philadelphia  and  an  account  of  it  with  a  sketch  of  the  bridge  was  pub- 
lished in  this  Journal. 

Col.  Long's  bridge  is  very  well  known  throughout  the  Union.  It  is  a 
good  specimen  of  carpentry,  is  very  stiff,  does  well  without  boarding  in,  but 
after  a  few  years  the  pressure  of  the  braces  splits  off  the  shoulders  of  the 
posts  against  which  they  abut,  that  is  if  the  posts  nearest  the  abutment,  the 
pressure  of  course  diminishing  towards  the  centre  of  the  span. 

In  order  to  obviate  this  difficulty,  Messrs.  Hazard  &  Co.,  contractors,  in- 
troduced a  set  of  braces  radiating  from  the  abutment  to  the  head  of  each 
post,  or  rather  pair  of  posts,  and  occupying  the  space  allotted  to  the  coimter 


1iiCm»M  •^■'■^ii  Wt-I-M'  ----•''•*'-'  ■*■  '  i-- 


Notes  0%  Practicai  Engineering.  • 

brace  in  Long's  bridge.     Numerous  structures  of  tjiis  kind  have  been  put 
up  and  are  well  spoken  of. 

Another  contractor,  Mr.  Howe,  designed  and  erected  the  railway  bridge 
over  the  Connecticut  at  Springfield  in  which  iron  rods  supply  the  places  of 
the  posts ;  the  braces,  which  are  of  timber,  cross  each  other  in  the  style  of 
lattice  work.  There  are,  however,  two  braces  and  one  counter  brace,  the 
vertical  rods  passing  on  either  side  of  the  latter.  There  is  perhaps  less  work 
on  this  bridge  than  on  any  other,  and  the  braces  and  rods  may  be  very  easi- 
ly replaced.  It  is  not  screwed  in.  The  wood  work  of  this  bridge  is  a  son 
of  compound  of  the  bridges  of  Town  (lattice)  and  Col.  Long. 
*  The  architectural  effect  of  these  different  bridges  is  what  might  be  expec- 
ted from  an  enormous  square  box  and,  whether  boarded  in  or  not,  may  be 
safely  put  down  as  a  minimum.  They  all  avoid  the  arch,  which  adds  so 
much  to  the  strength  of  Burr's  bridge,  a  structure  which  the  \vriter  has  gen- 
erally found  deficient  in  stiffness,  though  it  is  proper  to  say  that  his  acquaint- 
ance with  it  is  less  extensive  than  with  others.  Although  generally  roofed 
and  boarded  in,  the  arches  take  off  something  of  the  dull  rigid  outline  by 
running  beneath  the  floor  at  the  haunches.  Where,  however,  floods  ap- 
proach the  floor  of  the  bridge,  this  springing  of  the  arches  lower  down  on 
the  abutment  is  obviously  attended  with  inconvenience  and  even  danger  in 
some  cases. 

In  short  spans  it  will  be  generally  admitted  that  the  old  plan  with  two 
queen  posts  and  good  iron  straps  is  the  cheapest  and  at  least  as  good  as  any 
other.  For  common  road  bridges,  this  mode  of  construction  has  been  used 
in  spans  of  considerable  length  and  is  applicable  to  railway  bridges  at  least 
as  far  as  60  feet.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  carry  iron  rods  from  the  ends  of  the 
braces  and  straining  beam  near  the  head  of  the  queen  post  down  through 
the  strings,  instead  of  merely  passing  them  through  the  strings  or  tie  beam 
and  bolting  them  to  the  lower  end  of  the  queen  posts. 

Indeed  too  little  iron  has  been  used  in  many  American  bridges,  and  al- 
though Dr.  Robison  says,  "  a  skilful  carpenter  never  employs  many  straps, 
considering  them  as  auxiliaries  foreign  to  his  art,"  the  experience  of  this 
country  in  Fattice  bridges.  Long's  bridges  and  others  where  reliance  has  been 
placed  on  the  lateral  cohesion  of  the  fibres  in  the  shoulders  of  the  posts  in 
Long's  and  Burr's  plans,  and  on  the  close  fit  of  the  pins  in  lattice  bridges, 
would  appear  to  indicate  the  propriety  of  introducing  a  greater  quantity  of 
iron  as  well  as  bestowing  greater  attention  on  the  dimensions  and  minor  de- 
tails— as  heads,  washers,  threads — than  has  been  done  in  many  instances. 

In  looking  at  the  various  parts  of  an  English  wooden  bridge,  an  experi- 
enced eye  sees  at  a  glance  that  no  labor  has  been  spared  on  details ;  that  the 
minutiae  have  deen  carefully  weighed  even  in  designing  a  bridge  5  or  6  feet 
•wide  to  enable  the  horses  to  cross  a  canal.  Although  their  comparative  du- 
rability cannot  well  be  known,  it  must  be  admitted,  that  with  the  same  quan- 
tity of  material  and  but  little  if  any  more  labor  in  the  construction,  they  pre- 
sent an  appearance  of  neatness,  finish  and  adaptation  to  the  object  aimed  at, 


Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellei's  Formula.' 

which  will  be  found  in  very  few  American  wooden  bridges.  It  would,  how- 
ever be  unfair  to  the  American  engineer  to  stop  here.  It  is  unfortunately 
the  custom*  here  to  give  a  preference — in  the  case  of  road  bridges — to  some 
builder  or  contractor,  often  a  patentee  of  some  plan  infinitely  more  ingenious  .  * 
than  judicious,  over  the  educated  and  experienced  engineer,  whose  promises, 
before  the  conunencement  of  a  work,  fall  as  far  short  of  those  of  his  rivals 
as  his  actual  performances  exceed  the  crude  and  almost  invariably  more  cost-  • 

ly  productions  of  these  people. 

■'Now  the  English  bridges  with  which  we  become  familiar  through  the 
various  publications  of  the  day,  are  all  or  nearly  all  designed  by  members 
of  the  profession  or  persons  well  qualified  by  education,  experience  and  char-  : 
acter,  and  the  result  is  precisely  what  might  be  expected.  In  the  case  of  - 
stone  arches  on  some  American  railways,  the  design  and  execution  of  the 
work  would  confer  credit  on  any  engineer  in  any  country,  but  such  opportu- 
nities are  of  rare  occurrence.  This  very  circumstance  shows  what  might 
be  expected  from  the  profession  in  this  country  were  arches  of  stone  more 
generally  adopted,  and  the  excellence,  abundance,  and  almost  infinite  variety 
of  the  material  must  at  some  future  day  cause  many  of  the  smaller  streams  to 
be  adorned  with  these  unrivalled  structures.  Many  wooden  bridges  on  railways 
are  brought  down  by  the  grade  of  the  line  as  near  as  possible  to  high  water 
mark,  hence  there  is  comparatively  little  opportunity  for  architectural  effect 

in  such  ca.ses.  With  road  bridges  this  is  not  generelly  the  case,  and  a  rise 
of  a  few  feet  in  the  centre  of  the  span  is  no  objection.     There  is  a  very  good 

specimen  of  a  road  bridge  in  the  Civil  Engineer  and  Architect's  Journal, 
vol.  I,  p.  177,  and  all  must  recollect  the  elegant  and  graceful  "  Pont  du  Ca- 
rousel" by  M.  Polenceau,  constructed  of  'cast  iron  and  timber,  a  combination 
which  may  be  introduced  in  an  endless  variety  of  ways  and  proportions,  and 
which  the  great  improvement  in  the  quality  and  the  gradual  reduction  in  the 
price  of  American  castings  renders  well  worthy  of  our  attention.  ^ 

New  York,  Dec,  1843. W.  R.  C. 

For  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

I  have  read  with  some  surprise  a  series  of  articles  which  have  appeared 
in  the  Journal  on  Uie  "  Cost  of  transportation  on  railroads,  by  C.  Ellet,  Jr. 
C.  E."     Had  the  statement  been  perfectly  correct  and  Mr.  E.  had  succeed-  ; 
ed,  as  I  do  not  doubt  he  has,  in  producing  a  formula  which  will  come  with-   . 
in  12  per  cent  of  the  expenses  from  the  known  business  on  any  particular  >  .  ^ 
road,  I  am  still  to  learn  to  what  use  it  can  be  applied.     My  object,  however, 
at  present,  is  not  to  discuss  the  formula  but  to  correct  some  gross  mis-state- 
ments which  have  appeared  in  the  last  two  articles,  in  relation  to  the  South  ( 
Carolina  railroad,  and  then  leave  your  readers  to  judge  how  much  confi- 
dence is  to  be  placed  in  what  he  says  of  the  other  roads.     If  what  he  ad- 
vances in  relation  to  the  cost  of  renewing  the  iron  on  railroads  be  true,  rail-  - 
road  companies  cannot  too  soon  get  rid  of  such  unprofitable  property. 

In  his  comparative  statement  of  the  actual  and  calculated  expenses  of  the 
South  Carolina  railroad  for  1842,  the  through  tonnage  is  put  down  at  27,-  ^ 


■       "V  ...      -     .   .  •     -  -  .•■■.._-f    ■•      .-  J-    _■■'.'■"  •   .▼'  .--,,  wt.'  ■ 


i2«i»arA5  071  Mr.  Ellefs  Formula.  -.-'■■tMk 

000,  and  through  passengers  at  24,000.  The  income  from  freight  during 
that  year  was  $192,823,  which  divided  by  $8,  about  the  charge  for  trans- 
porting a  ton  over  the  road,  gives  24,000 ;  and  the  receipts  from  passen- 
gers for  the  same  time  were  $127,684,  and  this  divided  by  $8,  the  charge 
for  a  through  passenger,  gives  for  the  total  through  passengers  16,000.  The 
expenses  calculated  by  the  formula  for  24,000  tons  and  16,000  passengers, 
will  be  $200,500,  in  place  of  $214,000,  or  an  error  of  12  per  cent,  in  place 
of  6  per  cent.  In  the  same  statement,  the  expenses  of  the  Western  road  are 
quoted  at  $256,619,  in  place  of  $266,619,  as  stated  in  the  company's  report, 
or  an  error  of  4  in  place  of  0. 

To  the  statement  of  the  cost  of  repairs  of  engines  on  the  Georgia  railroad, 
Mr.  E.  appends  this  note — "  This  company  have  added  to  the  usual  division 
of  their  expenses  into  ordinary  and  extraordinay  repairs,  the  new  classifica- 
tion of '  improvements  to  engines ;' "  not  being  able  to  conceive  that  a  small 
stock  of  engines  could  run  153,000  miles  and  be  matei^jally  improved  by  it, 
I  regard  these  "  improvements"  as  expenses.     I  cannot  conceive  how  any 
stock  of  engines  could  be  improved  by  running  153,000  miles  ;  neither  do  the 
Georgia  railroad  company  say  that  theirs  were,  but  they  do  say  that  two  of 
their  engines  were  improved  by  expending  $950,  in  substituting  "  small  driv- 
ing wheels  and  large  cylinders"  for  "  large  driving  wheels  and  small  cylin- 
ders," and  that  these  and  other  improvements  have  enabled  them  to  dispose 
of  one  of  their  "  small  stock"  of  12  engines.     Moreover,  the  company  have 
charged  these  improvements  to  "  cost  of  repairs  of  engines,"  and  have  not, 
as  they  might  have  done,  credited  the  "  cost  of  repairs,"  with  the  proceeds 
of  the  engine  which  these  improvements  enabled  them  to  part  with. 
'    Mr.  EUet  says,  "  the  first  iron  used  on  the  South  Carolina  road  was  des- 
troyed in  less  than  six  years — after  it  had  borne  about  130,000  through  tons 
and  120,000  through  passengers,  and  the  locomotives  had  made  10,000 
through  trips."     The  iron  was  destroyed  in  less  than  six  years !     The  com- 
pany in  their  report  of  November,  1833,  state  that  the  iron  delivered  on  the 
road  cost  $109,453  80 ;  in  their  report  of  July,  1841,  and  in  all  their  sub- 
sequent semi-annual  reports,  there  is  credited  to  cost  of  construction  "  old 
iron  sold  $92,321  75,"  the  sum  which  was  received  for  1,800  or  2,000  tons, 
three-forths  of  the  original  weight.     From  this  it  will  require  no  prophet  to 
inform  Mr.  Ellet  that  the  iron  which  originally  cost  the  company  delivered 
on  the  road,  $40  per  ton,  was  sold  by  them  for  nearly  $50 !  after^it  had  been 
"  destroyed  in  less  than  six  years."     Of  the  remainder  of  the  iron,  a  large 
portion  still  remains  in  the  depot  tracks  and  turn  outs  on  136  miles  of  road, 
little  short,  I  should  suppose,  of  10  miles ;  much  has  been  used  in  the  work 
shop  in  the  construction  and  repairs  of  locomotives  and  cars,  and  many  other 
purposes ;  and  lastly,  some  of  it  was  loaned  to  the  contractors  for  earth  work 
on  the  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  Charleston  railroad,  and  bore  a  transporta- 
tion of  40,000  or  50,000  cubic  yards  of  sand  and  hard  pan,  equivalent  to 
^ghty  thousan(l  tons  besides  the  cars,  (as  some  of  the  contractors,  much 
to  their  sorrow,  can  testify,)  or  more  than  one-half  the  tonnage  which  wsi 


9     I  Aattimore  ani  Ohio  Railroad  tteport. 

sufficient  to  destroy  it,  and  this,  mind  you,  after  it  had  already  been  de- 
stroyed, and  what  is  quite  as  wonderful,  the  company  were  foolish  enough 
to  receive  it  back  again  without  making  any  charge  for  the  use  of  it,  con- 
sidering that  it  had  not  been  materially  injured.  Here,  at  least,  is  one  iron 
rail  that  could  not  be  considered  "  bad."  From  what  I  have  here  stated,  I 
think  it  will  not  be  a  very  unfair  conclusion  to  draw,  that  the  iron  which 
"  was  destroyed  in  less  than  six  years,"  afterwards  brought  the  company  in 
cash,  and  in  other  shapes,  as  much  as  it  originally  cost  them  delivered  on 
the  road  ;  and  that  in  this  case,  ■_:;i--—r-(~.':s^.-^'---^:.^- 

a  N+ft  T+c  P=0. 
'This  may  be  no  exception  to  the  rule,  but  like  the  engines  on  the  Worcester 
road,  is  certainly  a  case  in  which  the  formula  does  not  apply.     Trusting 
that  your  correspondents  will  furnish  you  with  sufficient  authentic  data  to 
come  within  $1,000  of  the  value  of  the  above  expression,  I  will  conclude 
these  remarks  with  the  following  quere.     Recollecting  that  "  the  destruction 
of  the  T  or  H  rail  will  be  greater'^  than  that  of  the  plate  rail,  in  other 
words,  the  heavier  the  rail  the  faster  it  wears,  if  a  plate  rail  weighing  12  or 
13  lbs.  per  yard  can  bear  the  transportation  of  80,000  tons  after  it  has  been" 
-  destroyed,  without  being  materially  injured  by  it,  how  much  can  be  trans- 
ported over  a  rail  weighing  60  lbs.  per  yard,  (like  that  on  the  Reading  road) 
,  without  rendering  it  unfit  for  use  ?  *  "^  d. 

;,.:  \  : -'■-  '\—}^ 

BALTIMORE   AND   OHIO   RAILROAD   REPORt  FOR    1843. 

For  this  report,  as  for  many  other  favors,  we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  B.  H. 
Latrobe,  the  chief  engineer,  who  will  please  accept  our  thanks. 

From  this  report  we  learn  the  following  facts,  viz  :        T^^'f-'f^  '   • 

1st,  That  on  the  main  stem  the  rates  were  reduced  on  passengers  25  per 
cent.,  and  on  tonnage  30  per  Cent. ;  and  that  the  number  of  passengers  has 
more  than  doubled,  and  the  tonnage  nearly  doubled  ;  while  on  the  Wash- 
ington road  the  number  of  passengers  has  fallen  off  17  per  cent,  and  the  ton- 
nage 8,  where  the  rates  were  not  reduced,  notwithstanding  the  roads  south  of 
Washington  materially  reduced  their  rates,  and  thus  gave  this  road  the  benefit.   , 

2nd.  That  the  cost  of  transportation  has  been  reduced  on  the  main  stem, 
on  feight,  fifteen  per  cent.,  and  on  passengers  fifty-six  per  cent. ;  while  on 
the  Washington  road  the  cost  of  working  the  road,  during  the  past  year     * 
with  d^  reduced  business,  is  only  $46  less  than  the  previous  year. 

3d.  That  the  excess  of  nett  revenue,  on  thfe  main  stem,  this  year  over  the    I 
past,  is  on  passengers  $93,440,  and  on  freight,  $55,401 ;  while  the  nett  re- 
venue on  the  Washington  road  is  less  than  last  year.     It  is  to  be  borne  in 
mind,  however,  that  the  ^  extension  of  the  main  stem  to  Cumberland  hat 
mainly,  or  largely,  contributed  to  this  increase. 

The  report  shows  an  encouraging  state  of  affairs,  and  calls  loudly  on  the  ".; 
citizens  of  Baltimore  and  of  Maryland  to  push  forward  this  important  work,   ;.- 
and  we  hope  to  learn  soon  that  efficient  measures  have  been  adopted  for  e^ 
tending  the  road  to  the  Ohio  river. 


-:*^^JAi"l^;*^JlrI>^•-J.'W.■^!*u 


>-j;  ;■;;;':..: :::-;^-,:.  _; 7      TSdtlmort;  df^X)kio  ReMrbad  Re^&^'y' :^-\    ^^'^[.'.'9-' 

We  have  watched,  with  deep  interest,  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  the  progress 
of  this  work ;  and  it  is  nearly  twelve  years  since  the  reports  of  the  company' 
((Pre  published  in  this  Journal,  and  although  exceedingly  anxious  to  exam- 
ine the  work,  yet,  not  until  the  past  summer  was  the  writer  able  to  visit  and 
pass  over  it,  though  frequently  invited  so  to  do.     In  June  last,  while  on  a 
short  visit  to  the  monumental  city,  we  availed  ourself  of  a  polite  invitation 
from  the  chief  engineer  to  accompany  him  over  the  road  to  Cumberland, 
'.which  afforded  us  an  opportunity  to  form  a  better  idea  of  the  labors  performed 
by  this  pioneer  company.     It  has  truly  been  a  herculean  work,  especially 
when  we  consider  the  difficulties  to  be  surmounted,  and  the  limited  experi- 
ience  in  relation  to  the  construction  and  working  of  railways  when  it  was 
,  commenced.     But  the  main  difficulties  are  overcome,  and  the  vast  impor- 
tance to  Baltimore  of  its  speedy  completion  are  becoming  daily  more  evident 
»and  of  course  renewed  efforts  will  be  made  this  winter  to  provide  the  means 
-for  prosecuting  the  work  vigorously  next  season  ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
••'the  citizens  of  Baltimore,  who  have  done  so  much  in  the  cause  of  railroads, 
may,  at  an  early  day,  derive  all  the  benefits  which  they  have  anticipated  from 
this  noble  work. 

With  the  facts  contained  in  this  report  before  them,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 

.'the  legislature  of  Maryland  will  adopt  measures  authorizing  the  company 

to  reduce  the  fare  on  the  Washington  road,  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of 

^  the  times,  and  thus  increase  the  profits  next  year.     Of  one  result  they  may 

rest  assured,  and  that  is,  that  if  they  do  not  reduce  their  rates,  the  travelling 

'^community  will  avoid  this  road,  when  they  can  do  so,  and  thus  reduce  their 

income.     It  is  a  fact  now  well  established,  that  in  most  cases,  where  the 

,  rates  have  been  reduced,  the  travel  has  so  increased  as  to  augment  the  nett 

V  revenue  ;  and  it  will  be  so  on  this  road,  we  have  not  a  doubt,  as  it  would  be 

*ibetween  New  York  and  Philadelphia  by  a  reduction  of  the  fare  to  $3,*or 

even  to  $2  50 — which  we  hope  may  soon  be  done.  ^  ^i 

[:  At  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  held  pursuant  to  the  charter,  on  the  se- 
i,  cond  Monday  of  October,  1843,  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  the  president  and 
^directors  of  the  Bahimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company  submitted  the  foUow- 
:^  ing  report  and  statement  of  the  affairs  of  the  company : 
*.  In  the  last  annual  report  it  was  stated  that  the  road  would  be  completed 
„to  Cumberland  between  the  first  and  tenth  of  November,  1842.     It  was  ac- 

cordingly  opened  on  the  fifth  of  the  month,  and  has  ever  since  been  in  oper- 
x^  ation  from  that  point ;  thus  accomplishing  another,  and  by  far  the  most  im- 
..portant  step  towards  the  extension  of  this  great  work  to  its  final  destination. 
X  The  new  part  of  the  road  west  of  Harper's  Ferry  may  be  said  thus  far 
\\o  have  answered  the  expectations  of  the  board  *  and,  independently  of  the 
,  necessary  expense  of  keying  up  the  bridges,  requiring  an  inconsiderable  ex- 
'"'penditure  in  the  adjustment  of  its  parts. 

During  the  past  season,  however,  many  parts  of  the  country  between 

.  Harper's  Ferry  and  Cumberland  have  been  visiled  with  several  freshets  of 

'  unexampled  power  ;  the  water  suddenly  rising  on  two  occa^ons  some  feet 

higher  than  was  ever  before  observed ;  and  either  sleeping  away  or  materi- 
ally injuring  various  works  and  descriptions  of  property  throughout  the 
^country,  which  had  successfully  withstood  all  previous  floods. 

,     -  ^       •      '  •        '    .,  'ij    ,. 

-»        I 


Ill  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  Report. 

At  three  points  within  three  miles  of  Harper's  Ferry,  one  of  the  freshets 
did  considerable  damage  to  the  railroad,  by  carrying  away  three  of  the  cul»  .;> 
verts  and  portions  of  the  embankment.  At  one  of  the  culverts  near  the  Ut^ 
tie  Cacapon,  some  slight  damage  was  also  sustained.  The  injuries,  hdP* 
ever,  were  temporarily  repaired  with  such  despatch  as  that  the  travel  was 
interrupted  over  those  parts  of  the  road  for  a  few  hours  only,  and  the  trans- 
portation of  burthen  for  not  more  than  three  days. 

To  repair  permanently  the  damage,  and  to  place  the  culverts  beyond 
the  reach  of  even  a  higher  rise  in  the  water,  may  be  expected  to  increase  the 
expense  of  repairs  in  the  current  year  about  $15,000,  being  upwards  of 
82,000  less  than  the  surplus  on  hand  from  the  year  just  ended. 

All  the  other  part  of  the  road  withstood  without  injury  the  force  of  these 
unexampled  floods  ;  and  their  strength  may  be  considered  sufficiently  testefi 
to  inspire  new  confidence  in  their  future  stability. 

In  consequence  of  the  opening  of  the  road  to  Cumberland,  and  upon  the 
commencement  of  the  spring  trade  and  travel,  the  charges  for  transportation, 
both  of  passengers  and  merchandize,  upon  the  Pennsylvania  lines  were 
considerably  reduced,  and  throughout  the  year  have  been  kept  at  rates  which 
it  is  believed  are  not  required  by  the  public  nor  justified  by  the  true  interests 
of  the  works.  Nevertheless,  to  meet  such  competition,  and  to  enjoy  any 
share  of  the  trade,  it  became  necessary  that  the  board  should  reduce  the 
charges  upon  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  ;  and  they  were  accordingly 
reduced,  for  passengers  about  25  per  cent.,  and  for  tonnage  about  30  per 
cent  below  the  rates  of  the  previous  year.  For  some  time  after  the  openr 
ing  of  the  road  to  Cumberland,  the  difficulties  of  wagon  transportation  over 
the  National  road,  both  as  to  capacity  ^nd  rate  of  charge,  also  interposed  se- 
rious obstacles  to  the  trade  upon  the  railroad  ;  and  these  it  will  not  be  possi- 
ble wholly  to  surmount  until  the  road  can  be  extended  to  the  Ohio  river. 

Notwithstanding  these  impediments,  the  operations  of  the  road  between 
Baltimore  and  Cumberland  since  the  5th  of  November,  1842,  have  been  al- 
together encouraging,  fully  warranting  the  expectations  which  urged  its 
completion  to  that  point ;  and  calculated  to  inspire  the  stockholders  and  the 
board  with  renewed  zeal  in  their  future  exertions  to  carry  it  onward. 
'•*^The  statement  B  exhibits  the  revenue  and  expenses  of  the  main  stem  dur-^ 
ing  the  year  ending  on  the  30th  of  September. 

It  is  deemed  proper  also  on  the  present  occasion  to  submit  a  tabular  state" 
ment,  prepared  by  the  engineer  of  machinery  and  repairs,  exhibiting  in  de- 
tail the  operations  and  various  actual  expenses  incident  to  the  working  of  the 
main  stem  during  the  year,  together  with  the  amount  of  receipts  from  all 
sources  during  the  same  period. 

These  statements  exhibit  a  gratifying  augmentation  in  the  trade  and  travel 
upon  the  road  ;  and  as  proportioned  to  the  work  done,  a  continued  reduction  . 
in  the  cost  and  expenses  of  transportation. 

The  excess  of  revenue  for  the  past  over  the  preceding  year,  for  passen- 
gers, is  $93,440,  and  for  tonnage,  $55,401,  amounting  together  to  $148,841. 

The  nett  earnings  of  the  main  stem,  independent  of  the  Washington  road, 
over  and  above  the  expenses  of  working  the  road,  amount  to  the  sum  of 
$279,401  55,  being  equal  to  4  per  cent,  upon  the  capital. 

The  railway  east  of  Harper's  Ferry  has  been  considerably  improved, 
both  in  adjustment  and  material  during  the  year  ;  and  that  west  of  the  same  i 
point,  with  the  exception  of  the  injuries  already  mentioned,  is  in  better  adr . 
justment  than  at  any  time  since  it  was  opened. 

During  the  year,  one  new  engine  has  been  added  to  the  moving  power, 
and  another  will  soon  be  placed  upon  the  road.     The  entire  complement 


■.  -r^'V   ■- ,  Lf  ^ 


, :-_•  ,'c' .  ■*'' •  v"  1  =  ■.    ■^••-•*^•'/'?^^«  ■>:<!?■"'  S™"'"/'-"'  ..*.-;•'. ^•■.''--.;^*-  V,-.';;  f  ',^-  ..^f,' 


Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  Report. 


will  then  consist  of  twenty-eight  locomotives  ;  and  the  present  business  of 
the  road  will  require,  upon  the  average,  at  least  twenty-two  to  be  in  actual 
daily  operation.  It  is  not  doubted  that  in  the  present  state  of  efficiency,  the 
moving  power  will  be  adequate  so  an  increase  of  at  least  fifteen  per  cent. 
,  .nupon  the  business  of  the  past  year. 

The  passenger  and  burthen  cars,  and  the  depots  and  watgr  stations  are  in 
good  condition.  There  are  also  on  hand  duplicate  parts  of  machinery,  and 
•  a  stock  of  materials  for  general  repairs,  and  for  the  construction  of  burthen 
rars,  exceeding  those  of  any  previous  year ;  amounting  in  the  aggregate- to 
more  than  $40,000.  As  a  general  result  from  these  statements,  and  the 
operations  of  the  year,  it  may  be  stated  that  during  the  past,  as  compared 
with  the  preceeding  year,  the  number  of  passengers  transported  one  mile 
has  been  more  than  doubled,  and  the  amount  of  tonnage  nearly  so  ;  that  the 
cost  of  transportation  of  passengers  has  been  fifiy-six  per  cent.,  and  of  trans- 
portation of  tonnage  fifteen  per  cent,  less  than  in  any  previous  year ;  and 
that  if  consistent  with  the  competition  with  other  works  the  board  could 
have  maintained  the  original  rates  of  charge,  with  the  same  economical  cost, 
an  equal  amount  of  business  would  have  yielded  a  nett  revenue  of  little  less 
than  seven  per  cent,  upon  the  capital  employed. 

?  The  board  having  reason  to  believe  that  their  present  power  might  be 
beneficially  employed  in  the  transportation  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  dam 
No.  6  on  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal,  to  be  carried  thence  by  the  canal 
to  the  District  of  Columbia,  have  consented,  upon  the  application  of  the  ca- 
nal company  and  others,  at  present  to  fix  the  charge  upon  coal  between 
those  points,  at  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile  ;  and  will  be  ready  as  soon  as  the 
canal  may  be  navigable,  to  engage  in  the  transportation  of  that  article  upon 
these  terms.  The  present  rate  is  of  course  fixed  with  reference  not  only  to 
the  quantity  offered  for  transportation,  but  to  the  permanence  of  the  trade. 

Wiih  a  satisfactory  assurance  that  the  business  would  be  permanent,  the 
company  might  engage  in  it  at  a  less  charge  than  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile, 
on  any  part,  or  for  the  whole  extent  of  the  road.  The  board,  however, 
would  not  be  justified  in  the  expenditure  of  a  large  sum  to  augment  the  mov- 
ing power  and  provide  machinery  not  adapted  to  other  purposes,  if  upon  the 
completion  of  their  preparations,  they  might  encounter  competitors  even  at 
no  lower  rate  of  charge. 

All  debts  due  from  the  compan)'^,  and  not  in  dispute,  during  the  past  year, 
including  $50,000  of  principal  and  23,355  of  interest  to  the  Messrs  Baring, 
under  the  arrangement  for  the  iron  rails  communicated  to  the  stockholders 
in  the  last  annual  report,  have  been  discharged  ;  and  those  remaining  unpaid 
do  not  in  all  exceed  the  sum  of  40,700  dollars.  * 

The  nett  revenue  of  the  main  stem  (including  the  sum  of  $46,467  received 
from  the  Washington  road)  after  paym«it  of  the  foregoing  debts,  amounts 
to  172,479;  of  which  the  board  have  determined  to  appropriate  $15,000, 
according  to  the  pledge  in  the  last  annual  report,  as  the  commencement  of 
a  sinking  fund  on  account  of  the  loan  of  $1,000,000,  for  the  Washington 
road. 
■*'  Of  the  ballance  they  have  determined  to  divide  among  the  stockholders 
$2  upon  each  share  of  stock,  payable  on  and  after  the  1st  day  of  November 
next,  reserving  a  surplus  of  17,479. 

Before  passing  from  the  accounts  of  the  main  stem,  the  board  deem  it  pro- 
per to  remind  the  stockholders  that  in  the  operations  of  the  past  year,  they 
nave  not  only  encountered  the  competition  and  impediments  already  adverted 
to,  but  have  been  exposed  to  the  heavy  charge  incident  to  the  employment 
of  horse  power  in  the  introduction  of  passengers,  as  well  as  burthen,  mto 


4M^  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  Report. 

the  city.  The  amount  of  such  charge,  with  the  present  travel,  may  be  esti- 
mated at  from  12,000  to  $15,000  annually.  It  must  of  course  increase  in 
proportion  to  the  augpnentation  in  the  number  of  passengers,  unless  the  pre- 
sent system  be  abandoned,  or  the  city  authorities  should  think  proper  to  per- 
mit the  introduction  of  the  locomotives  ;  as  is  now  permitted  in  some  other 
cities,  and  partially  in  Baltimore,  without  injury  or  inconvenience. 

The  nett  earnings  of  the  Washington  road  for  the  year  ending  on  the  30th 
September,  ]  842,  authorised  a  dividend  of  five  dollars  per  share,  and  left  a , 
surplus  of  8,834  40. 

The  nett  earnings  for  the  year  ending  on  the  30th  ultimo,  are  61,691  46^ 
which  added  to  the  surplus  of  the  preceding  year  amount  to  $80,525  86, 
of  which  the  board  have  decided  to  divide  among  the  stockholders  four  dol- 
lars and  fifty  cents  per  share,  payable  on  and  after  the  1st  day  of  Novembei 
next,  retaining  a  surplus  of  6,275  86. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  during  the  past  year  the  company  have  paid 
on  account  of  the  subscription  to  the  Washington  road  $13,533  more  than 
they  have  received  from  its  earnings. 

The  sum  paid  to  the  State  for  the  six  months  from  the  1st  of  January  to 
the  1st  of  July,  1842,  being  one-fifth  of  the  gross  receipts  from  passengers 
amounted  to  20,500  26,  and  from  the  1st  of  July,  1842,  to  thelst  of  Jan- 
uary, 1843,  to  18,125  69,  together  $38,625  95.  The  amount  paid  to  the 
State  on  the  same  account  for  the  half  year  from  January  to  July,  1843, 
was  15,439  88  dollars. 

It  is  also  to  be  remarked  that  if  the  sum  of  33,565  57,  paid  to  the  State 
on  the  1st  of  January  and  1st  of  July,  1843,  the  one-fifth  of  receipts  from 
passengers,  there  be  added  the  sum  of  24,750,  the  dividend  of  the  Washing- 
ton road,  10,000  from  the  main  stem,  and  1,269  60  regularly  remitted  by 
the  board  to  London  as  the  interest  upon  $5,250  sold  of  the  subscription  of 
$3,000,000,  it  will  appear  that  the  State  has  received  during  the  year  the 
sum  of  $69,585  17,  being  nearly  seven  per  cent  upon  her  entire  actual  in- 
vestment in  both  roads. 

The  railway,  the  pcssenger  and  burthen  cars,  and  depots  and  water  sta- 
tions of  this  road  are  in  good  condition ;  and  the  expenses  of  repairs,  and 
cost  of  transportation  in  the  aggregate  vary  in  a  small  degree  from  those  of  ' 
the  preceding  year.     The  aggregate  value  of  materials  on  hand  for  repairs 
of  railway,  locomotives  and  cars  may  be  estimated  at  5,900  dollars. 

A  comparative  statement  of  the  operations  upon  the  W^ashington  road  dur- 
ing the  past  and  preceding  year,  is  appended  to  this  report. 

It  shows  that,  although  the  cost  of  working  the  road  in  both  years  has 
been  nearly  the^me,  the  falling  oflf  in  passenger;^  has  been  at  least  17  per 
cent.,  and  in  tonnage  about  8  per  cent.  ;  and,  consequently,  that  the  diminu- 
tion in  the  revenue  is  mainly,  if  not  wholly,  attributable  to  a  decrease  in  the 
passenger  travel.  Such  result  was  apprehended  last  autumn  as  likely  to 
arise  from  the  cheaper  competition  by  the  bay  line  of  boats  from  Bahimore 
to  Norfolk  ;  and  a  application  was  made  to  the  legislature,  at  the  last  session, 
by  parties  concerned  with  the  southern  portions  of  the  inland  route,  to  au- 
thorize a  reduction  of  th^  charge  for  passengers  on  the  Washington  road 
The  application  proved  successful ;  and  although  this  board  thought  the  ap- 
prehension well  founded,  and  concurred  in  the  justice  and  propriety  of  co- 
operating with  the  southern  companies  in  a  fair  reduction  throughout  the 
line,  they  had  no  power  to  alter  the  rate  of  charge  for  passengers  between 
the  two  cities,  or  to  bear  any  proportion  of  a  reduction  by  others,  withom 
the  authority  of  the  legislature,  or,  in  the  recess,  of  the  Governor  of  the 
State. 


Baltimore  and  Ohio  RaUroad  Report.     ":"  ' ' '         11^' 

The  charter  also  makes  it  lawful  fcr  the  legislature,  upon  the  application  ; 
by  the  railroad  company  for  any  reduction  in  the  established  rate,  so  to  reg-  - 
ulate  the  charge  as  without  reducing  the  proportion  of  one-fifth  at  present 
reserved  to  the  State,  in  fact  increase  it,  and  reduce  only  the  share  of  the 
compEmy. 

Unwilling  to  expose  the  interests  of  the  stockholders  to  the  operation  of 
this  provision,  the  board  declined  preferring  any  direct  application.     They, 
however,  caused  a  communication  to  be  made  to  the  Governor  on  the  2nd 
of  August  acquainting  him  with  the  actual  falling  off  of  the  busir>ess  of  the 
road,  subsequent  to  the  adjournment  of  the  legislature,  and  calling  his  atten-  v 
tion  to  the  causes  which  it  was  supposed  had  contributed  to  it.     To  this  let- 
ter an  answer  was  transmitted  by  the  secretary  of  State  on  the  5th  of  Sep-  ■ 
tember,  acquainting  the  board  that,  in  the  opinion  of  ^e  Governor,  the  char-  > 
ter  authorized  him  to  consent  to  a  reduction  of  charges  for  temporary  ob- 
jects only,  without  power  to  provide  for  the  case  to  which  the  company  had 
called  his  attention ;  and  that,  besides,  he  did  not  feel  justified  in  interfering  • 
in  the  present  instance,  inasmuch  as  the  ^gislature  at  its  last  session,  had  the 
whole  subject  under  consideration  and  did  not  think  proper  to  act. 

It  is  proper  to  add  that  without  the  co-operation  of  this  board,  some  of  the 
companies  connected  with  the  inland  route,  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  re>  \ 
duced  the  charges  upon  their  respective  lines ;  and  that  subsequently  there 
has  been  an  evident  improvement  in  the  travel. 

We  omit,  for  want  of  room,  the  argument  of  the  president  in  fovor  of  vigf- 
orous  measures  being  adopted  to  complete  the  road  to  the  Ohio  river.  We 
may  add,  however,  that  it  is,  as  might  be  expected  from  the  able  man  at  the 
head  of  the  company,  directly  to  the  point. 

The  application  of  the  power  of  steam  upon  the  water  and  on  land  haia 
already  produced  incalculable  effects  throughout  the  world.  It  is  of  too 
ready  adoption,  and  too  successful  in  operation  to  escape  the  attenti(Na  of  any  - 
enterprizing  conununity  ;  and  all  who  expect  to  acquire  superiority  or  main- 
tain equality  in  agriculture,  commerce  and  manufactures  must  rely  upon  its 
aid.  They  must  embrace  the  remotest  points  btf  ike  shortest  distance  and  at 
the  least  cost  of  transportation.  Nature  has  placed  the  city  of  Baltimore 
within  the  shortest  geographical  distance  of  the  trade  of  the  western  cotm- 
try ;  and  any  proper  connection  she  may  form  with  the  Ohio  river  becomev^  ' 
as  matter  of  course  and  above  all  competition,  the  direct  and  cheapest  chan- 
nel of  communication,  not  only  with  the  intervening  country,  but  with  th© 
entire  vallies  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers. 

The  growth  and  prosperity  of  any  of  our  Atlantic  cities  depeiMl  up<Mi  the 
extent  of  foreign  and  domestic  trade  which  they  may  be  able  to  command  ; 
and  these  again  require  the  facilities  of  a  certain  market,  reached  at  the  least 
cost,  and  offering  the  best  prices. 

To  regain  her  former  advantages,  Baltimore  must  resort  ta  the  same  arti- 
ficial power  by  which  they  have  been  superseded — as  stated  in  the  last  an-' 
nual  report,  she  must  unite  the  pow^r  of  steam  on  land  with  that  on  the 
water,  from  New  Orleans  to  this  city. 

The  successful  operation  of  finished  railroads  judiciously  located  and  econ- 
omically managed  between  desirable  points,  is  satisfactorily  established  by' 
experience  both  in  the  United  States  and  in  Europe ;  and  that  a  railroad  from 
Baltimore  to  the  Ohio  river,  comprehends  the  most  important  intercourse  be- 
tween the  various  parts  of  the  Union  will  not  be  denied.  While  the  con- 
siderations which  in  a  public  point  of  view,  warranted  the  original  enterprize 
have  lost  none  of  their  importance,  the  board  venture  the  opinion  that  tb». 


■Jp  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  Report. 

capabilities  of  the  work,  and  the  claims  it  prefers  to  the  public  favor  are  al-  : 
ready  fully  established.     Wholly  and  peculiarly  calculated  to  improve  the 
trade  and  augment  the  wealth  ofevery  part  of  the  State,  they  must  continue 
to  regard  it  as  one  of  chief  magnitude. 

It  is  not  to  be  disguised  that  many  portions  of  the  State,  already  heavily 
taxed  for  the  maintenance  of  public  credit,  have  little  interest  in  any  pub- 
lic work  beyond  what  -they  incidentally  derive  from  the  prosperity  of  the 
commercial  emporium  ;  and  ii  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  can  in  any 
'sense  be  deemed  a  rival  of  any  other  enterprize,  it  can  only  be  from  its  ten- 
dency to  concentrate  in  the  Maryland  market  the  resources  which  by  differ- 
ent channels  would  be  diverted  to  other  cities. 

Already,  in  its  unfinished  state,  it  has  imparted  a  new  impulse  to  the  trade 
and  capital  of  the  city  of  Baltimore.  In  the  first  year  of  its  extension,  after 
little  more  than  ten  months  operation  from  Cumberland ;  subject  to  the  rival- 
ries of  the  works  of  other  States  at  reduced  rates  of  transportation,  and  with- 
out aid  from  the  Washington  road,  it  has  earned  a  nett  revenue  of  four  per 
cent,  upon  the  capital  employed  |  and  had  it  been  extended,  would  have 
needed  no  greater  amount  of  trade  at  prices  which  might  have  been  charged 
without  inconvenience,  to  have  earned  at  least  seven  per  cent. 

Fully  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  making  every  exertion  for  the  fur- 
ther prosecution  of  the  work,  it  is  a  source  of  regret  that,  from  causes  be- 
yond their  control,  the  board  have  been  unable  during  the  past  year  to  adopt 
jutiy  efficient  measures  for  that  purpose.  The  charter  of  the  company  both 
in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  by  its  original  terms,  is  perpetual ;  but  without 
additional  legislation,  the  board  had  no  authority,  aftei^the  4th  of  July  last, 
to  occupy  any  greater  extent  of  the  territory  of  either  State  for  the  extension 
of  the  road.  Although  the  legislature  of  Virginia  adjourned  without  remov- 
ing this  obstacle,  the  board  have  reason  to  believe  that  at  the  ensuing  session 
an  application  for  that  purpose  will  be  more  successful. 

In  Maryland,  the  legislature  allowed  a  further  period  of  twenty  years  ; 
but  at  the  same  time  incorporated  the  permission  in  the  law  authorizing  a 
sale  of  the  public  works,  and  in  such  manner  as  that,  unless  the  State's  in- 
terest in  the  work  should  be  sold,  the  authority  could  not  be  exercised. 

The  board  would  not  be  unwilling  to  co-operate  with  the  legislature  in 
any  equitable  disposition  of  the  State's  interest  in  the  railroad  company  ;  as 
a  meahs  of  lessening  the  public  debt,  and  to  that  extent  effecting  some  imme- 
diate relief  to  the  people  from  the  burthen  of  taxation. 

By  the  terms  of  the  late  law,  however,  there  were  grounds  to  apprehend 
that  the  period  of  twenty  years  would  operate  as  a  limitation,  not  upon  the 
completion  of  the  work  only,  but  upon  the  duration  of  the  charter ;  and 
that,  notwithstanding  the  guarantee  of  a  perpetual  annuity  of  30,  COO  dollars 
from  the  Washington  road,  the  State  would  also  be  entitled  to  receive,  in 
addition,  one-fifth  of  the  gross  receipts  from  all  passengers  passing  over  the 
road  to  and  from  the  city  of  Annapolis. 

Under  these  circumstances,  if  in  any  other  respects  it  had  been  objection- 
able, the  board  did  not  feel  warranted,  in  recommending  the  law  to  the  ac- 
ceptance of  the  stockholders. 

From  these  causes,  the  board  have  been  constrained  to  limit  their  mea- 
surel  for  the  extension  of  the  road,  to  further  reconnoissances  of, the  country 
west  of  Cumberland  through  the  State  of  Virginia,  in  the  well  founded  be- 
lief that  in  that  direction,  should  it  become  advisable  to  seek  it,  a  better  and 
cheaper  route  to  the  Ohio  river  may  be  obtained. 

They  also  look  forward  with  confidence  to  more  auspicious  legislation  i^ 
both  States  during  the  ensuing  winter  ]  and  it  is  their  intention  in  that  event, 


Form  of  a  Statistical  Table.  -^IP  ~  ;J< 

in  the  same  sjMrit  which  has  animated  them  in  the  past,  to  take  such  mear  t 
siiresj  as  with  the  resources  adverted  to  in  the  last  annual  report,  may  er»able 
them  to  recommence  the  prosecution  of  the  work  committed  to  their  man- 
agement. By  order  of  the  board,     Louis  McLane,  President. 

For  the  American  Railroad  J(^nal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

To  the  Editors — Gentlemen — I  have  prepared,  and  respectfully  submit,     • 
through  your  paper,  to  the  consideration  of  the  several  railway  companies 
of  the  United  States,  the  accompanying  form  of  a  statistical  table,  intended* ,;". 
for  an  annual  exhibition  of  the  character,  cost  and  operation  of  their  respec-  -  : 
live  works.     The  collection  and  arrangement  of  railway  statistics  has  here- 
tofore met  with  serious  obstacles  in  the  irregular  and  incomplete  manner  in     - 
which  most  railway  reports  are  presented  to  the  public.     Many  details,' es-  ;\. 
sential  to  the  derivation  of  general  principles  and  practical  results  from  .the  ;  1 
actual  working  of  the  railway  system,  are  altogether  wanting  in  their  re- ,, 
ports,  and  those  particulars  which  are  given,  are  often  expressed  and  ar-  v. 
ranged  so  as  to  be  useless,  or  available  only  at  the  expense  of  much  time  ; 
and  labor.     Believing  that  all  railway  companies  would  desire  to  make  their    ■ 
reports  as  useful  as  possible,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  proposing  the  pre-     ;; 
sent  formula  as  a  guide,  which,  if  universally  followed,  will  be  eminently  ■, 
advantageous  to  them  all  individually ;  for  each  will  have  its  contribution  to  , 
the  capital  of  knowledge,  thus  built  up,  repeiid  an  himdred  fold  by  the  shares 
contributed  by  the  rest.     The  value  of  this  aggregation  of  the  experience 
of  the  country,  in  this  department  of  its  institutions,  will  be  incalculable.  _^  . 

I  suggest,  that  in  addition  to  the  publication  of  this  in  the  Journal,  the  ta-     ^ 
bular  form  be  printed  on  a  loose  sheet,  and  sent  forthwith  to  each  railway 
company  ;  and,  thereafter,  annually,  a  convenient  time  before  the  period  of 
the  publication  of  its  annual  report.     The  expense  of  this  will  be  trifling  to. 
the  Journal,  to  which  most  of  these  companies  subscribe.     Should  any  of  ?. ; 
them  not  see  fit  to  attach  the  table  to  its  annual  report,  they  may  perhaps  be  , 
nevertheless  willing  to  fill  it  up  and  let  it  appear  in  the  Journal.     Upon  re-  .1  : 
ceiving  all  the  tables  from  the  several  companies  contributing  them,  a  gen- 
eral table  could  be  made  out  under  the  same  heads,  in  which  the  contents  of  : 
all  the  individual  statements  would  be  contained. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  form  submitted,  I  have  embraced  elementary 
facts  only,  the  proper  deductions  from  which  can  be  drawn  by  calculation. 
It  is  believed  that  no  element,  necessary  to  the  knowledge  of  any  important 
particular,  respecting  the  work  which  may  be  under  consideration,  is  omitted,  i  ■ 
while,  at  the  same  time,  the  companies  furnishing  the  facts  are  asked  for  no 
more  than  is  essential,  as  premises,  to  the  conclusions  which  every  one  in- 
terested will  draw  for  himself  The  arrangement  of  the  table  may  not  per- 
haps be  the  very  best,  although  it  seems  to  make  the  most  of  the  space  in- 
cluded within  the  outlines.  This  is  a  matter  of  minor  importance.  The 
relative  positions  of  the  columns  can  be  shifted  to  suit  the  judgment  or  taste 
of  the  party  concerned.  It  is  hardly  to  be  expected,  that  the  whole  of  these 
columns  can  or  will  be  filled  by  all  railway  companies,  some  of  which  may 


f(^  Columbia  and  Philadelphia  Railroad. 

'•■  /•  ■-■■:  .  .-f  :■:  .>.:^  K  -  i..v,V.-.-V 

not  have  so  kept  their  accounts  as  to  render  so  minute  a  sut^vision  practi- 
cable. In  such  cases,  approximations  might  be  made  which  would  answer 
the  purpose,  or,  if  these  are  out  of  the  question,  the  specific  detail  called  for 
will  appear  as  a  part  of  some  more  general  heading.  There  may  also  be 
an  unwillingness,  in  some  corporations,  to  make  so  full  an  expose  of  their 
affairs  as  the  formula  calls  for.     From  these  causes  the  statements  may  not 

.^  be  as  complete  as  could  be  wished,  especially  with  regard  to  past  operations. 
But,  if  imperfect,  they  will  still  be  valuable  to  the  extent  to  which  they  may 
reach,  and  should  the  form  of  record,  now  recommended,  be  approved  ol^ 
they  will  for  the  future  be  as  ample  as  is  desired. 

Knowing  that  you  already  appreciate  fully  the  importance  of  this  mea- 
sure, and  will  not  be  backward  in  forwarding  it,  I  now  leave  it  in  your 
hands,  and  remain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Baltimore,  December,  1843.  Benj.  H.  Latkobe,  Civ.  Eng. 


iiCiJ'  d/.^t   i<>  COLUMBIA   AND   PHn.ADELFHIA   RAILROAD. 

The  following  statement,  from  the  Weschester,  Penn.,  Republican,  and 
Democrat,  gives  a  more  favorable  account  of  the  management  of  this  road 
than  we  have  before  seen ;  and  it,  at  the  same  time,  establishes,  beyond  a  doubt, 
^  the  fact  often  asserted,  that  there  has  been  gross  mismanagement  of  its  af- 
-  fiurs,  if  not  the  most  barefaced  robbery  of  its  funds,  by  those  who  have  had 
the  coatrol  of  it  This  statement  shows  a  daily  saving  in  the  motive  power 
alone,  for  a  continuous  period  of  twenty-one  months,  of  $409  33,  or  $261,- 
-^W)  27,  when  compared  with  its  management  from  February  6,  1839,  to 
February  28,  1842,  a  little  over  three  years. 

We  would  not  be  understood  as  intimating  that  the  whole  of  this  enor- 
mous difference  between  $760  18,  the  average  daily  expense  from  1839  to 
1642,  and  $250  88,  the  average  daily  expenses  of  the  past  twenty-one 
months,  was  misappropriated.     There  have  been,  or  should  have  been,  im- 

'  portant  lessons  learned  in  the  economy  of  managing  railroads  and  their  ma- 
chinery, within  the  last  five  years,  as  we  find  by  the  annual  reports  of  the 
dififerent  companies ;  not,  however,  in  the  ratio  exhibited  in  this  statement — 
yet  it  establishes  the  correctness  of  our  theory,  that  it  is  trv^  economy  to  em- 
ploy, and  pay  liberally,  none  but  men  of  proved  integrity,  and  unyielding 

:  energy  in  the  management  of  all  public  works — sycophants,  iimc-servers  and 
politicians  n^ver.     Will  not  States  and  companies  learn  wisdom  ? 

"  Some  time  sinca^  we  requested  of  Mr.  Morehead,  the  superintendant  of 
:  this  branch  of  the  public  works,  that,  at  the  close  of  the  financial  year,  he 
would  furnish  us  with  an  abstract  from  his  annual  report,  showing  the  re- 
ceipts and  expenditures  for  the  past  year.  In  compliance  with  that  request, 
he  has  communicated  the  following  statement,  which,  with  his  accompany- 
:  ing  remarks,  cannot  fail  to  be  highly  interesting  and  gratifying  to  every 
Peofisylvanian : 

ABSTRACT  STATEMENT, 

Showing  the  total  receipts  and  expenses  on  the  Columbia  and  Philadelphia 
.>-^failroad,  from  December  1st,  1842,  to  November  30th,  1843 — one  year. 


PROPOSED  FORM  OF  TABULAR  STATEMENT  DESIGNED  TO  EXHIBIT  ANNUALLY  THE  STATISTICS  OF  THE  SEVERAL  RAILROADS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


DISTANCES. 

HEIGHTS. 

GRADES. 

CURVhS. 

CHARACTER 

jam 
DESCRIPTION 

OF    THE 

Length  in 
miles  and 
decimals, 
of  main 
stem  be- 
tween ter- 
mini. 

Length 
of 

branch- 
es, in 
miles. 

Length   Total 
of      ascents 

single      and 

track    desc'nts 
in           in 

miles.      feet. 

Height 
in  feet 
of  one 
termi- 
nus 
above 
the 
other. 

Length 
in  miles 
&  deci- 
mals,of 
grades 
under 
10  feet 
pr  mile. 

Do. 

b'tween 

10&20 

do. 

Do. 

b'tween 

20&30 

do. 

Do. 

b'tween 

30&40 

do. 

Do. 

b'tween 

40&50 

do. 

Do. 

b'tween 

50&60 

do. 

Do. 

b'tween 

60&70 

do. 

Do. 

b'tween 

70&80 

do. 

Do.        Do. 

b'tween  b'tween 
80&90  90&1C0 

do.    1      do. 

1 

Length 
&  incli- 
nat'nof 
highest 
grade 
in  feet 
prmile. 

Length 
in  miles 
&  deci- 
mals,of 
curves 
under 
500  feet 
radius. 

from 

m 

to 
1000 

Do. 
from 

leoo 

to 
2000 

Do. 

from 
2000 

to 
3000 

Do. 

from 
3000 

to 
4000 

L»o. 

from 
40C0 

to 
5000 

Dj. 

over 

5000 

feet 

radius. 

RAILROAD. 

-.<-■■ 

:', .  '-::  ^ 

■■■ ;.  /  .  i 

-  :.■■■■.- 

GRADUATION. 

MASONRY.                                                    i 

WOODEN  BRIDGING. 

COST 

CONSTRUCTION, 

Cubic  yards 
of  earth. 

Cost  of 
earth  work. 

cubic  yards 

of  rock 

and 

tunneling. 

Cost  of 
roc'iC  work 

and 
tunneling. 

Total 
cost 
of 
Graduation.    ; 

No.  oi 
)  ridges 
arched 
with 
stone  01 
wood. 

Perches 

of 

bridge 

masonry. 

Cost 

of 

bridge 

masonry. 

1  No.  of 
square 
culv'rts 

or 
drains. 

Perches  of 
culvert  or 
drain  and 
dry  wall 
masonry. 

Cost  of 

culvert  and 

dry  wall 

masonry. 

Total 

cost 

of 

masonry. 

No.  of 
wooden 
super- 
struc- 
tures. 

Least 
and 

great' SI  j 

span  in 

feet. 

1 

^ff  No       Total 
°V-"'^'    cost  of  su- 
^^^'^y^-     perstruc- 
perstruc-      \^^^^ 

tures. 

^           Oit 

■.  ■    '■.  ■ 

;  : 

1  -      . 

■   .   -;:-'  .--■-■: 

1 
1 

CAPITAL 

WA'iEtt-S'lA 
TIONS. 

BUILDINGS. 

itAL  ESTATE, 

viz:  depot  ground. 

fUlGHT  0) 

fi^ncing   nnd 

^  WaY, 

damnffps. 

AACHINERY. 

INVESTED 

No. 

Cost. 

Station   houses. 

Eno'ine  and  car      ,,7.    ,      , 

houses.               ^^^-^'^   ^^°P^- 

No.  of} 

"";^  1  -  Cost 

of     1 
ground 

No.  of 
acres 

of 
land. 

Cost. 

Locoiiiotivts   and 
t^'ndprs. 

Passenge-  cars. 

Burthen  cars. 

HuiSrS  iiVA 

h:3rnf5>s. 

IN   THE 

WORK. 

No. 

Cost. 

No.        Cost. 

No. 

Cost. 

No. 

Cost.       j  No. 

Cost. 

No. 

Cost.     1  r 

nTo. 

Cost. 

-. 

■..-       ■.,..,.,■■••■■.1 

-,  ■ 

i 

! 

'•:•          '^        ■■             ■       r'\ 

^^ 

.- 

Length 

of 

straight 

line  in 

ihs 


Length 

and 

radius 

of 


High- 
est 
grade 
occur- 
ing 
on 


milts     1     ,    . 
and  de-  ^^""'^^^^  shortest 


citnals. 


curve. 


curve. 


Width 

of 
road- 
bed, av- 
erage 

for 

cuts 

and 

fills. 


RAILVVAY  IRACK. 


Form 

of 

cross 

section 

of 

iron 

rail. 


Weig't 

of 

rail 
in  tons 

per 
mile. 


Wtig't 

of 
fasten- 
ings of 
rail  in 
tons  per 
mile. 


Number 
and 

sizes  of 

cross-ties 

per 

mile. 


rSuniber 
of  fett 
boa  id 
measure 
of  longitu- 
dinal tim- 
bers per 
mile. 


Perchfs 
(bf25cub. 
It.)  of  gra- 
vel or  blo- 
ke n  stone 
jhlling  per 
mile 


'  Gauge 

or  width  [ 
of  tiack 
bttwetn 
rails,  in 
feet  and 
inches. 


RAILWAY   TRACK 


Cost  of 
cross-tie 
timbers. 

Cost  of  lon- 
gitudinal 
timbers. 

Cost  of 
iron  rails. 

Cost  of 

fastenings 

of   rails. 

Cost  of 
gravel   01 

broken 
stone  bal 

lasting. 

Cost  of 
workman- 
ship r.nd 

labor. 

Turntables. 

switchfs 
and  conlin- 

gcncits. 

Total 
cost  of  tracks. 

' 

- .  "■  ■ 

ENGINEERING. 

Griiciul  and 

contingent 

expenses 

under 

all    other 

heads. 

Total 

cost  of  work 

to 

(late. 

AVCVNT 

f'f 
capital  stock. 

Piilimiujiy 
j     surveys 
and 
loc;!iion. 

Superiiiitn- 

dance 

of 

construction. 

A  urouKT 
of   loans. 

• 

t    '.    ^:-:..:-j' :■::;. 

-  ■    -    " 

1-; 

MUi'lVE  POWER. 


litl^\ll<S  Ul    KUAU. 


OPERATION 

OF    THE 

ROAD, 

viz: 

WORK  DONE, 

RECEIPTS 

AND 

EXPENSES, 
PROFITS 

AXD     ■ 

DIVIDENDS. 


EXPENSES. 


Repairs  and 

renewals  of 

engines  and 

tenders. 


FUEL. 


Co  ids 

of 
wood. 


Cost. 


Tons  of 

coal  or 

coke. 


Cost. 


Oil  for 
tngines 

and 
tenders. 


Cotton 
waste   for 

engines 
&  tenders. 


Tools 

for  engn's 

and 

tenders. 


WHges  of 

cnginemen 

and 

firemen. 


Hirse 
power 

;ii 
str'ets. 


Total 

cost  of  motive 

power. 


Graduation,  viz.  |_ 
ditching,  remov'gj 
slips  and  raising  j 
embankments.   ! 


BRIDGES. 


RAILWAY  TRACKS. 


Stone 

or 
Brick. 


Wood. 


Timber. 


Stone. 


Iron  rails. 


Fastenings. 


Woiknan- 
ship. 


Contingen- 
cies.' 


REPAIRS  OF  CARS. 


Passenger 
cars. 


Burthen 
cars. 


Total. 


Repnirs 

of 
depots. 


Repairs 
of  water 
stations. 


Watch  injj 
wooden 
bridjres. 


Pumping 
water. 


Oil  and 

grease 

for 

cars. 


S.\L.AKiES  AND  WAGES 


Gtneral       |    Conduciois    !    Conductors    1     Libor  uTuT 
superintendant,. and  brakemen  land  brakemen  j  horse  power 
ajjents  and       of  passenger       of  burthen 


Conlir.g'l 

expenses  Sularus  ot  pi« 


GENERAL  EXPENSES 


clerks 


:|-..       •  I 


cars. 


cars. 


at 

depots. 


of 

transpor- 
tation. 


sidtnt,  .«ecreta-j 
ry,  treasurer  j 
&  office  clerks.i 


Taxes  on 
property. 


Rents,      j  I 

insurance,  1  Contingencies ! 


law 
expenses. 


of  all  kinds. 


I 


Total 

rxpfnfe  of 

woiking  the 

road. 


RECEIPTS  OR  GROSS  REVENUE. 


WORK  DONE  BY  THE  ROAD. 


jEARNlNGb    OF  THEj 

ROAD,  or  Nftt  Revenue.  | 


For 

transportation 

of  passengers 


For 

transportation 

of  tonnage. 


For 

irryin 
mails. 


From  other  Railroads 
for  carrying. 


carrying 


Passengers 


Tonnage. 


Tolls  for 

use  of  road 

by 

cars  of 

other   roads 


I 


Tolls  for 
tise  of  cars 

'/ 
other 

roads. 


Revenue 
from  all 

other 
sources. 


Total 
Revenue. 


Miles  run  by 

pa  sspn  get 

engines. 


Miles  run  by 
tonnjge 
engines. 


Passengers 

carried 
one  mile. 


j  Tons  ol  fuel 
Tons  of  freight  &  miiterials  on 
carried  one    jcompany'sown 
mile.         account  carritdl 
I     OUR    mile. 


Clear 
Receipts. 


jPrr    cent.j 

dividend  j 

j    for  the   I 


Nctt  revenue  from 

the  commencement  of 

operations. 


Number 
of 

years 

since 

opening 

of 

road. 


LEGAL  RATES  UF 
TOLL 


Per 

passenger 
per  mile. 


I 


Per 

ton  per 
wile. 


iVOTiS.  — Descriptive  of  the  plan  of  the  Bridges.         The  number,  dimensions  and  plan  of  the  Tunnels,  if  anj-.         The  number,  length  and  annual  cost  of  i\'orking  Ferries,  if  any.         The  plan  and  weight  of  the  Engines  and  Cars.        Relative  amount  of  Trade  and  Travel  m  each  direction. 
The  number,  causes,  extent  and  pecuniary  amount  of  damage  to  road  and  machinery  from  Accidents,  within  the  year.         Also,  a  Tariff  of  the  existing  rates  of  Toll  on  Freight  and  Passeng  ers,  and  a  statement  of  the  number  of  Tons  carried  one  mile,  of  each  description  of  Tonnage  ;— 
with  any  other  particulars  that  may  be  of  interest  to  the  public 


Columbia  and  PhUadelpia  Railroad. 


91 


RECEIFTS. 


<  %^^ 


:W 


vi^V. 


Amount  of  road  tolls  collected,  as  per  reports  of  collectors,      $199,274  61 
Amount  of  motive  power  toll,  190,510  ^ 

Amount  due  from  post  office  department,  for  carrying  United 

States  mail,  2,733  33 

Amount  received  for  rents,  and  old  materials  sold,  2,173  48 

$394,692  17 


.  /iLi/i  \'.i  XiM 


EXPENSES.     ^"' ■■'  ■  i^.'^-i,-^.■ 


For  repairs  of  road,  from  Dec,  1st,  1842,  to  Nov.  >  \    ." 

30th,  1843,  55,082  09 

For  maintenance  of  motive  power  during  the  same 
time,  135,292  99 

Excess  of  receipts  over  all  expenses,  for  the  year  1843, 

To  which  may  be  properly  added  the  difference  in  value  of  stock 
in  the  motive  power  department,  Dec.  Ist,  1842,  in  favor  of 


190,375  08 
204,317  09 


:.?-^r 


Dec.  1st,  1843, 

Nett  profit. 


VAc-iji;  .=^-??  ;«f-;r::iV',;,y?*s<^|j7W^vil.::tnr^  r.^'"?.^!" 


9,481  38 


$213,798  47 

"  Messrs.  Price  Sf  Strickland — The  above  statement  may  be  relied  on  as 
strictly  correct.  The  expenses  of  the  year  are  greater  than  was  anticipated ; 
principally  owing  to  the  increased  amount  of  business  done  this  year,  but 
which  does  not  show  a  corresponding  increase  of  receipts,  in  consequence 
of  a  reduction  of  tolls  made  by  the  canal  commissioners,  equal  to  about 
30  per  cent,  on  the  whole  business  done.  In  addition  to  this,  the  expense  of 
maintaining  the  State  trucks  to  carry  section  boats  over  the  road,  the  fixtures 
necessary  to  transfer  them  to  and  from  the  railroad  and  canal  at  Columbia, 
(which  cost  about  4,000  dollars,)  are  all  included  in  the  above  expenses  of 
motive  power  and  repairs. 

"  It  will  be  a  matter  of  great  gratification  to  the  tax-burdened  citizens  of  our 
Commonwealth,  to  learn  that  our  public  works  are  capable  of  producing  a 
revenue  equal  to  the  cost  of  repairs  and  management,  and  the  interest  on  the 
cost  of  construction.  I  confidently  believe,  so  far  as  the  Columbia  and  Phil- 
adelphia railroad  is  concerned,  that,  with  proper  management,  no  tax  will  be 
necessary  to  pay  any  portion  of  the  interest  on  its  cost,  much  less  to  pay  the 
expenses  of  management  Yours,  etc.,     "J.  B.  Moorhead,  Sitp't.^* 

We  cannot  permit  the  preceding  statement  to  go,  by  itself,  before  the  pub- 
lic, although  in  and  by  itself,  it  is  entirely  satisfactory.  It  is  due,  however, 
to  the  people  at  large,  to  the  public  interest  and  to  justice,  as  well  as  by  way 
of  encouragement  to  faithfulness  to  duty,  on  the  part  of  those  engaged  in  the 
management  of  the  State  improvements,  that  a  comparison  between  past  and 
present  management  on  this  railroad  should  should  be  made.  That  com- 
parison is  exhibited  in  the  following  statement,  based  upon  information  de- 
rived from  official  sources,  and  others,  in  which,  we  believe  confidence  may 
be  reposed.  '  statement. 

Comparing  the  expenses  of  motive  power,  from  Feb.  6th,  1839,  to  Feb. 

28th,  1842 ;  with  the  expenses  from  March  1st,  1842,  to  Dec.  1st,  184a  . 
Expenses  settled  in  auditor  general's  office,  up  to  March  31st,  ' 

1843,  contracted  under  the  superintendency  of  Jas.  Cameron 

and  Thos.  Tustin.     See  Senate  Journal,  page  291,  $810,164  43 

Expenses  settled  since  that  time  by  present  superintendent,  im- 

der  present  creditor  law,  17,708  28 

Expenses  paid  since  that  time,  by  present  superintendant,  21,260  62 


Total  expenses  of  motive  power  for  3  years  ttnd22  days,  as  far 


as 


settled. 


$849,1^33 


22  '^  Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellet's  Formula. 


'*- 


Expenses  from  March  1st,  1842,  to  Nov.  30th, 

1843,  settled  in  auditor  genenal's  office,         $216,070  83  t' 

Liabilities  contracted  during  same  time,  and  ,V 

unpaid,  .  8,496  65  % 

Total  expenses  for  one  year  and  nfne  months,  $224,567  48 

Average  expenses  per  day,  from  Feb.  6th,  1839,  to  March 
1st,  1842,  760  18 

Average  expense  per  day,  from  March  1st,  1842,  to  Nov  30th, 

1843,  350  88 

Difference  per  annum  in  favor  of  present  management,  $149,394  50 

Difference  per  month  in  favor  of  do.,  12,449  54 

Difference  per  day  in  favor  of  do.,  409  30 

•     ~~-  ' 

For  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine.  ■%  r 

DURATION   OF   RAILROAD   IRON REMARKS    ON    JIR.    C.    ELLEt's   FORMUlJL 

I  have  noticed;  vvrith  much  surprise,  that  neither  your  valuable  Journal- — 
the  Journal  of  the  Franklin  Institute — or  any  of  our  engineers,  have  yet 
questioned  the  formula  of  Mr.  C.  Ellet,  in  the  position  he  assumes,  viz,  that 
no  fiat  bar  railway  can  transport  over  it  to  exceed  150,000  tons,  without 
the  iron  rails  being  crushed — destroyed,  and  that  even  with  the  best  T  rails, 
such  as  are  used  on  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  railroad,  he  doubts  their 
capacity  to  sustain  the  traffic  of  800,000  tons  without  the  necessity  of  their 
entire  renewal.     He  uses  the  following  language: 

"The  rails  of  the  Reading  road  are,  by  common  consent,  acknowledged  to  be  good;  the  pattern  is 

considered,  by  the  advocates  ot  edge  rails,  to  be  unexceptionable  ;  and  the  mode  of  manufacture  adopted 

— that  of  making  the  lamina  horizontal — is  considered  to  render  them  almost  proof  against  wear. 

"  In  regard  to  these  rails — with  all  their  merits,  and  all  their  superiority —  I  affirm,  ^ 

*'  1st.  That  tliey  will  not  withstand  the'  rolling  of  the  trade  of  the  Schuylkill  for  one  year.  ' 

"  2nd.  That  before  800,000  tons  of  coal  have  passed  down  and  the  empty  cars  have  been  retnmcd  on 

them,  the  present  track  will  be  entirely  unfit  for  safe  usage.'* 

Perhaps  our  vision  may  be  obscure  from  having  taken  up  the  opinion, 
some  years  back,  that  railways,  such  as  the  Reading,  or  a  road  to  be  located 
on  a  descending  line  from  Buffalo  to  the  Hudson,  were  destined  to  supercede 
— if  not  materially  relieve — ^the  profitable  canals  to  which  these  lines  are 
parallel,  from  the  plethora  of  their  increasing  business.  -^ 

-  In  this  Statej  the  canal  interests  have  "  black  balled!^  railways  in  legisla- 
tive reports,  and  have  stifled  all  inquiry  into  their  merits,  compared  with  ca- 
nals. As  we  have  a  great  respect  for  Mr.  Ellet's  talents,  we  would  not 
wish  to  charge  on  him  that  the  Schuylkill  canal  atmosphere  of  Philadelphia 
may  have  led  him  to  view  the  cause  of  railways  in  the  desponding  vein  he 
treats  the  success  of  the  Reading  railroad.  If  his  positions  be  true,  the  ca- 
pitalists of  England,  who  have  invested  upwards  of  $250,000,000  in  1500 
miles  of  road,  and  those  of  this  country  $100,000,000  in  400  miles  completed 
have  committed  sad  blunder^.  If  Mr.  E.  is  correct,  in  "  using  up"  the  flat 
bar  after  150,000  tons  has  passed  over  it,  or  the  edge  with  800,000  tons,  the 
sooner  we  burn  up  our  rails,  and  send  the  iron  to  the  blacksmith  the  better. 
The  doctrine  of  Mr.  E.  goes  to  prove,  that .  the  more  business  done  on  rail- 
ways, the  worse  they  are  off,  while  he  roundly  asserts  that  one  year's  busi- 
ness of  the  Erie  canal,  or  of  the  Schuylkill  canal,  would  annihilate  the  Read- 
ing railroad.     It  would  appear,  however,  that  while  the  Schuylkill  canal, 


•'■>■       Wear  of  Iron  Rails. '•■'  23 

during  the  last  year,  brought  down  from  the  mines  447,050  tons,  the  Read- 
ing railroad,  with  a  deficient-motive  power,  and  cars,  added  to  an  insufficiency 
of  double  track  in  the  centre,  carried  over  it  229,01.5  tons — we,  therefore, 
venture  little  in  predicting,  that  ere  two  years,  800,000  tons  will  have  passed 
over  it,  without  any  serious  injury  to  the  iron  rail,  and  disprove  Mr.  Ellet's 
assertion  of  the  durability  of  this  road.  .       ,    ,       -.  •  , 

A,  We  draw  this  conclusion,  from  the  fact  presented  in  the  ^^  Report  of  the 
ttanagers  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  company  to  the  stockholders" 
published  7th  of  March,  1843,  and  circulated  in  Philadelphia,  that  over  the 
f  to  f  flat  bar  railroad,  that  connects  this  canal  with  the  Lackawana  coal 
region,  there  has  been  transported,  without  renewal,  since  it  was  laid  do\vn, 
in  1829,  1,627,250  tons.  ^ 

^  We  have  not  received  the  returns  for  1843,  from  the  Mauch  Chunk  and 
Lehigh  railroad,  but  placing  the  quantity  transported  in  1843  at  the  same 
rdte  as  1842,  we  have  since  1828,  (when  the  light  flat  bar  was  laid  down,) 
1,794,611  tons  carried  over  this  road.. 

As  Mr.  E.  calls  for  facts  of  the  capacity  and  durability  of  iron  rails,  we 
would  refer  him  to  the  Stockton  and  Darlington  railroad,  built  expressly  to 
transport  coal,  where  stationary  power  is  used,  and  the  grades  are  fifty  feet 
to  the  mile,  and  the  load  65  tons.  In  a  report  prepared  from  parliamentary 
documents — quoted  in  "  Sketch  of  a  railway,"  p.  58 — we  find  that  the  Stockton 
and  Darlingtonrailroad  has  taken  690,000  tons  and  200,000  passengers,  or  up- 
wards of  700,000  tons  in  one  year,  an  amount  nearly  equal  to  the  destruction 
of  the  Reading  railroad,  according  to  the  theory  of  Mr.  E.  We  believe  it  is 
now  more  than  ten  years  this  road  has  exceeded  the  average  of  600,000 
tons  per  annum.         ,i.iMUi^-  ■  j*l* 

But  we  have  a  stronger  fact  in  De  Pambour,  (appendix,  page  288,)  that 
certainly  should  have  been  before  .Mr.  E.  We  allude  to  the  experiment  on 
the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railway,  where  "  a  flat  iron  bar  was  laid  down 
the  10th  May,  1831,  weighing  177  lbs.  10^  oz..  It  was  taken  up  the  10th 
February,  1833,  after  having  passed  over  It  600,000  tons.  Its  loss  was  18^ 
oz.  or  only  ^Jr  °f*^  primitive  weight"  At  this  rate,  it  would  require,  ac- 
cording to  the  language  of  De  Pambour,  "  100  years  to  reduce  it  half  its 
original  strength." 

With  these  facts,  we  shall  leave  Mr.  E.  to  sustain  his  formula  with  his 
brother  engineers  and  the  public.  We  cannot,  however,  close  these  hasty 
remarks,  without  returning  Mr.  E.  our  sincere  thanks  for  the  research  and 
classification  of  the  several  items  of  cost  of  motive  power  on  railways,  de- 
rived from  the  meagre  reports  that  have  heretofore  been  so  common,  even 
when  prepared  by  legislative  requirement  J.  E.  B. 


(Pbt  the  American  Railroad  Jonrnal  and  Mechanics' Magazine.  ■    * 

WKAR   OF    IRON   RAILS. 

•  In  Mr.  Ellet's  paper  on  this  important  subject,  there  are  one  or  two  omis- 


■  (lt,t.'r'X.  ■ 


•'»'«. 


:* 


24  Wear  of  Iron  Rails. 

sions  which  I  find  it  difficult  to  account  for.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  no 
allusion  to  one  of  the  oldest  railways  in  the  Union,  and  in  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania too,  over  which  had  passed  during  late  years  about  200,000  tons 
per  annum ;  and  during  the  12  or  14  years  of  its  operation,  at  least  1,500,- 
000  tons  must  have  passed  over  this  thin  plate  rail.  The  railway  connect- 
ing the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  with  the  mines,  is  the  road  referred  to. 
If  it  be  objected,  that  steam  power  is  not  used  on  this  road,  and,  consequently, 
that  it  does  not  come  within  the  rule,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  wear  from 
the  engine  alone  is  more  than  ten  times  that  of  the  freight ;  for  Mr.  EUet 
says, 

"  The  common  half  inch  flat  bar,  under  ordinary  circnmstancet,  is  adequate  to  the  trantportadoA 
of  about  150,000  tons  of  freight." 

This  is,  of  course,  entirely  out  of  the  question. 

In  speaking  of  the  South  Carolina  road,  the  iron  is  said  to  have  been  ^'  de- 
stroyed." (page.  359)  Had  it  been  stated  how  many  pounds  per  yard  it  had 
lost,  or  that  it  had  been  crushed  or  broken,  some  engineering  information 
would  have  been  given.  But,  unless  my  memory  fail  me,  this  iron  was  not 
only  not  destroyed,  but  was  sold  for  a  large  sum,  the  company  desiring  a 
heavier  rail  for  the  increased  business  which  was  expected  from  the — at  that 
lime — contemplated  extension  of  their  road.  Not  having  the  official  docu- 
ments, I  am  unable  to  state  the  exact  number  of  tons  which  have  passed  over 
the  thin  plate  rail  of  the  road  first  referred  to,  nor  the  amount  which  the 
"  destroyed"  rails  of  the  South  Carolina  road  brought  in,  with  the  price  of 
iron  at  that  time.  Unless  given  by  some  other  correspondent,  I  will  endea- 
vor to  ascrtain  the  "  actual"  loss  in  the  South  Carolina  road. 
•^  The  mere  fact  that  the  rails  on  the  Lowell,  Camden  and  Liverpool  rail- 
ways have  been  changed,  however  important  in  itself,  gives  not  the  slightest 
information  as  to  the  absolute  wear  of  rails ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
these  changes  have  been  most  frequent  on  the  most  flourishing  railways. 

**  In  England,  however,  it  i*  contended,  people  hate  more  experience.  The  best  experience  there,  it 
that  of  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railroad,  a  work,  which  was  opened  to  public  use  in  the  fall  ot 
1830." 

Here  again  the  "  par  excellence"  freight  road  of  that  country,  the  expe- 
rience of  which  is  worth  more  than  that  of  all  the  other  railways,  perhaps 
in  the  world,  is  unaccountably  passed  by.  The  freight  passing  on  this  road 
is  about  equal  to  that  of  the  Erie  canal — ^upwards  of  700,000  tons  in  freight 
and  passengers  per  annum — and  as  the  engines  take  only  66  tons  per  trip, 
the  wear  may  be  put  down  at  twice  that  of  a  similar  quantity  passing  over 
the  Reading  railway,  where  the  engines  convey  three  times  as  much  at  a 
trip.  If  the  rails  on  the  Stockton  and  Darlington  railway  are  renewed  every 
ten  months,  the  old  iron  being  comparatively  worthless,  then  is  Mr.  EUet'e 
view  correct     In  the  appendix  to  de  Pambour  it  is  stated : 

"On  Mar  lUth.  1831,  on  the  LiverpoolUne,  a  malleable  iron  rail,  15  feet  lone,  carefully  cleaned, 
weighed  177  lbs.  10  1-2  oz.  On  Feb.  10th,  1833,  the  same  rail,  taken  up  by  Mr.  J.  Xocke,  then  nisideat 
engineer  on  the  line,  and  well  cleaned  as  before,  weighed  176  lbs.  8  oz.  It  had  consequently  lost  in  SI 
months  a  weight  of  18  1-2  oz.  The  number  of  gross  tons  that  had  passed  on  the  rail  during  that  tine 
was  estimated  at  600,000." 

Now,  assuming,  with  Mr.  Ellet,  that  the  upper  table  w^eighs  20  lbs.  per 
yard,  it  would  require  more  than  12,000,000  of  tons  gross  to  reduce  it  (nm- 


^'5^^.'S7^'^\T'^ 


Railroad  Dividenas. — Prices  of  Pork  and  Poultry. 


25 


fourth  in  weight,  on  the  supposition  that  this  part  of  the  rail  is  alone  subject 
to  wear. 

The  wear  of  rails  has  received  much  attention  at  various  times,  and  Messrs. 
Knight  and  Latrobe  introduced  into  their  estimates  of  annual  cost  a  certain 
amount  to  replace  the  iron  rails.  No  particular  number  of  tons  was  as- 
sumed, but,  judging  from  the  number  of  trips,  about  4,000,000  would  be  a 
&ir  estimate. 

I  believe  there  are  several  roads  with  the  plate  rail,  which  have  sustained 
the  wear  of  100,000  tons  in  freight  and  passengers,  with  a  very  insignificant 
loss  in  weight  of  iron — among  the  number,  the  South  Carolina,  and  Hud- 
son and  Mohawk  railroads.  My  object  in  writing,  is,  however,  mainly  to 
draw  attention  to  the  fact,  that  the  oldest  freight  roads  in  England  and  the 
United  States  find  no  place  in  Mr.  EUet's  paper,  and  that  in  the  instance  of 
the  South  Carolina  road,  the  whole  case  is  not  stated,  so  that  the  reader  is 
led  to  the  most  erroneous  conclusions. 

January,  1844.  W   R,  Casey. 

v.  Railroad  Dividends. — We  find  in  the  Boston  "  Shipping  Lisf^  the  fol- 
lowing statistics  of  the  dividends  of  the  Boston  railroads  for  the  last  six 
months. 


Roada. 

Amount  of 
Capital. 

Awonot  of 
Dividends. 

$72,000 
81,000 
66,000 
54,000 
36,000 
16,000 
12,000 
12,500 
7,500 

357,000 

Dividends 
per  Share. 

CnrreDt 
PricM. 

$130 
117 
106 
108 
107 
130 
107 
120 
78 

Lowell,                      ,     -i          * 

Worcester,       /''■y^\^':i.'''''''^'^''' 
Eastern,       ■  >;-f- ,•:;-:! ■■  '-'^  -v,'^'  v\'v >-•?;-  ■ 
Providence,               :»:.>.■?,  i  .j^j 
Boston  and  Maine,     ».  ^^y  -J  • :  '■■ 
Nashua,                          '.          "     • 
New  Bedford,      ■^;''       -/ 
Taunton  branch,                ?v  - 
Charlestown  branch,         ».   -^^ 

$1,800,000 

2,700,000 

2,200,000 

1,800,000 

1,200,000 

400,000 

400,000 

250,000 

250,000 

$4 
3 
3 
3 
3 
4 
3 
5 
3 

11,000,000 

PRICES  OF  PORK  AND  POULTRY  IN  ALBANY  AND  BOSTON. 

r  The  Rochester  Democrat  has  the  following  remarks  in  relation  to  the 
relative  value  of  pork  and  poultry  in  Boston,  Albany  and  Rochester.  It 
says: 

"  On  looking  over  the  prices  of  pork,  in  Albany  and  Boston,  we  notice 
they  are  very  high,  compared  with  the  markets  in  western  New  York. 
The  reason  is,  that  seventy-two  miles  of  the  railroad,  between  Utica  and  Al- 
bany, that  connects  us  with  Boston,  is  not  suffered  to  carry  freight  This  is 
a  great  detriment  not  only  to  our  pork  raisers  and  wheat  growers,  but  to  all 
who  raise  a  surplus  of  any  kind  of  produce.  Poultry  is  another  article 
which  always  bears  a  high  price  in  New  England,  and  while  our  farmers 
are  compelled  to  peddle  it  out  here  at  four  cents  a  pound,  it  is  selling  in  Bos- 
ton at  ten  cents.  Could  this  winter  embargo  be  removed,  while  the  canal  ir 
closed.  It  would  add  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  pockets  of  the  farmers  in  this 
section.  The  west  has  suffered  long  enough  in  this  respect.  Prompt  action 
should  be  had,  and  the  Utica  and  Schenectady  railroad  company  should  be 
not  only  empowered,  but  compelled  to  carry  freight  in  the  winter." 

:    We  have  frequently  referred  to  this  subject  before,  and  urged  the  propriety 


^  . >^.i^t ..  *x  u«   Aimospheric  Railways.      .^ ^      ^    .^ 

of  authorizing  the  Uticaand  Schenectady  railroad  to  carry  freight,  especially 
in  winter,  when  the  canals  are  closed.  The  advantage  will  be  mutual  to 
the  farmers,  and  the  citizens,  and  not  disadvantageous  to  the  company  ;  as 
during  winter,  the  travel  is  much  less  than  in  summer,  and  the  engines  are 
.seldom  required  to  take  full  loads,  and  may  always  take  more  or  less  freight 

It  appears  to  us  a  narrow  policy  to  construct  important  works,   for  the* 
benefit  of  the  people,  and  then  to  restrict  them  from  doing  that  for  which 
alone  they  were  chartered.     Our  canals  and  railroads  were  undertaken  and 
completed  for  the  purpose  o( facilitating  and  increasiiig  business,  to  enable'- 
the  farmers  to  send  their  produce  to  market,  and  the  merchants  their  goods  to 
the  country,  at  cheaper  rates,  and  the  result  has  been  all  that  was  anticipated 
— and  much  more,  yet  not  all  that  they  are  capable  of  accomplishing — then 
why  not  require  of  them.to  extend  their  operations  and  usefulness  to  their 
full  ability.     We  hope  the  legislature  will  be  called  upon  to  act  on  this  sub-' 
ject  at  their  present  session.  ;T.-r>:^;    '''^"■•^'*  -*  1; 

ATMOSrHERIC    RAILWAYS. 

■^  We  find  in  the  November  number  of  the  Practical  Mechanic  and  Engi. 
neers'  Magazine,  the  following  description  of  the  atmospheric  railway  ;  from|: 
which  it  appears  that  some  interesting  and  successful  experiments  have  beeni; 
made  on  the  west  London  line,  at  Wormwood-scrubs,  and  also  on  the  Dal-T 
key  branch  of  the  Dublin  and  Kingstown  railway.     These  experiments  are 
not  given  in  detail,  so  that  we  can  judge  accurately  of  the  pr.acticul  operation 
of  the  system,  yet  they  are  referred  to  in  a  manner  evincing  no  doubt  of  their  v 
accuracy  by  the  editor.     This  result  is  in  perfect  accordance  with  an  opinion 
expressed  to  us  ?ix  years  ago  by  Mr.  Samuel  Blydenburg,  an  intelligent 
practical  mechanic,  now  deceased  ;  who  spake  of  its  practicability  as  beyond^. ; 
a  question,  and  of  its  extensive  introduction  as  certain.     In  this  account  we;^' 
are  told  that,  not  only  the  first  cost  of  construction,  but  also  the  cost  of  work-'' 
ing  the  road  is  greatly  reduced;  which,  if  true,  is  certainly  a  strong  argu- . 
ment  in  its  favor ;  yet,  a  stronger  one  in  our  opinion  is,  its  greater  safety —  ^ 
a  consideration  altogether  above  dollars  and  cents. 

We  give  this  article  entire,  and  shall  look  with  interest  for  further  accounts 
in  relation  to  the  progress  of  a  system,  which  may,  at  no  distant  day,  say  to  v 
the  locomotive,  as  it  has  said  to  that  neble  animal,  the  horse,  ''  your  service* 
are  no  longer  required  on  this  road." 

More  than  a  year  ago,  we  intimated  our  intention  of  bringing  this  scheme 
under  review  ;  but  as  time  passed  on,  the  experimentum  crucis  on  the  Dal- 
key  branch  of  the  Dublin  and  Kingstown  railway  progressed,  and  at  length 
attained  a  state  of  forwardness,  which  induced  us  to  await  the  completion  of 
the  undertaking  before  hazarding  any  prophetic  opinion  respecting  its  gen- 
eral practicability,  and  the  advantages  claimed  for  it  by  its  advocates  over  the 
plain  matter  of  fact  modes  of  propulsion  at  present  in  operation  on  our  rail-  . 
way  lines.  The  experiment  has  now  attained  maturity,  and  has  already  es- 
tablished, beyond  dispute,  this  one  important  fact — that  the  scheme  is  possible. 

But  before  proceeding  to  a  description  of  the  mechanical  appliances  by 
which  this  consummation  has  been  realized,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  o>  , 


*  -'tXtSi: ^'-'t. 


-       ~,        ^  ^  Atmospheric  Railways.^  ''_-.■  -r  _  '"wlr 

serve,  that  the  principle  of  the  scheme  possesses  much  less  of  novelty  than  . 
is  commonly  associated  with  it.     Even  two  centuries  ago,  the  notion  was  en- 
tertained of  producing  motion  economically  for  the  purpose  of  transit  by 
means  of  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere.     The  original  thought  may,  at 
^least,  be  traced  back  with  certainty  to  the  celebrated  Dr.  Papin.     In  suc- 
cession, long  afterwards,  came  Lewis,  Vallance,  Medhurst  and  Pinkus, 
whose  speculations  excited  in  their  day,-  some  attention  and  more  ridicule 
Many  of  these  are  curious,  and  none  of  them  are  more  absurd  than  that  of 
Vallance,  who  actually  proposed  to  propel  his  'carriages  and  passengers 
through  an  exhausted  tunnel.     Medhurst,  in  imitation  of  Vallance,  in  his 
first  speculation,  proposed  likewise  to  drive  his  carriages  through  a  subter- . 
ranean 'passage,  but  believing  that  his  passengers  could  not  comfortably  ex- 
ist without  air,  made  provision,  at  least  partially,  for  its  supply  during  tho 
passage.     In  a  pamphlet  which  he  publishell  in  1817,  he  describes  his  line 
of  transit  as  a  "  hollow  tube"  of  such  dimensions  as  to  admit  a  four-wheeled 
carriage  to  run  through  it,  and  to  be  constructed  air-tight  of  iron,  brick,  tim-  . 
ber,  or  other  "suitable  material."     The  carriage  Avas  to  be  of  a  form  and . 
size  nearly  to  fill  the  cross  section  of  the  tunnel,  and  to  be  propelled  forward 
in  one  direction,  by  forcing  air  into  the  tunnel  behind  it,  by  means  of  a  sta- 
tionary engine,  working  a  huge  air-pump  ;  and  in  the  other,  by  exhausting 
the  tunnel  in  advance  of  the  carriage,  arid  allowing  the  pressure  of  the  at- 
mosphere to  act  upon  it  behind.     The  proposal  was  received  with  ridicule, 
and  for  a  season  afforded  good  material  for  the  caricaturist.     But  Mr.  Med- 
hurst was  not  abashed  ;  nor  was  his  ingenuity  exhausted,  for  he  speedily  de- 
vised means  of  propelling  his  carriage  in  the  open  air,  and  of  making  a 
communication  between  the  interior  of  his  propulsion  tube,  and  the  outside, 
preserving  it  at  the  same  time  air  tight.     His  scheme  now  began  to  assume 
a  rational  form.     Its  principal  feature  was  the  exchange  of  the  subterranean 
tunnel  for  an  iron  pipe  of  34  inches  diameter,  having  a  longitudinal  opening 
on  its  underside,  between  two  flanges  of  six  or  eight  inches  deep.     These 
flanges  were  to  be  immersed  in  a  channel  of  water,  thus  forming  a  species 
of  water  valve,  throughout  the  whole  length  of  the  pipe.     It  is  unnecessary 
to  say,  that  this  valve  did  not  answer,  but  it  was  an  approach  which  seems 
rather  to  have  whetted  than  damped  the  ardor  of  the  inventor,  for  he  imme-, 
diately  discarded  it  for  one  formed  on  the  top  of  the  vacuum  pipe.     In  this 
modification,  the  pipe  had  no  flanges  along  the  opening.     The  valve  was  a 
metal  plate,  hinged  to  one  edge  of  the  groove,  and  had  some  soft  substance 
as  leather,  fixed  upon  tfie  other  edge,  to  shut  against  a  seat  of  a  similar  ma- 
terial, fastened  on  the  corresponding  edge  of  the  groove,  so  as  to  form  when 
shut,  an  air  tight  joint.     The  power  was  in  this  case  as  before,  to  be  obtained 
by  exhausting  the  main  by  an  engine  at  one  end,  and  to  allow  the  pressure. 
of  the  atmosphere  to  act  upon  the  back  of  a  piston  accurately  fitted  to  the 
pipe,  and  having  a  projecting  arm  passing  through  the  groove ;  to  this  the 
carriage  was  to  be  attached.     The  piston  had  certain  attachments  for  open- 
ing the  valve  as  it  advanced,  and  others  for  shutting  it ;  but  withall  the  valve 
was  not  tight. 

In  this  advanced  state  was  the  contrivance,  when  taken  up  by  Mr.  Pen- 
kus,  who  suggested  the  rope  valve,  which  likewise  failed  to  keep  the  tube 
air  tight,  and  was  in  turn  abandoned-  The  course  being  thus  clear,  and  the 
notion  reduced  in.  some  measure  to  a  practicable  form,  Mr.  Clegg  stepjjea 
forward,  and  solved  the  difficulty.  He  has  deviated  in  no  respect  from  the 
general  arrangement  suggested  by  Mr.  Medhurst,  but  by  a  closer  attention 
to  the  conditions  of  the.  problem  and  the  mechanical  details  which  these  in- 
volve, has  succeeded  in  working  out  the  original  suggestion  to  practical  util- 


28  Atmospheric  Railtoays. 

ity  in  a  way  which  promises  to  be  efficient,  and  capable  of  en(|pring  the 
rough  usage  necessarily  attendant  on  constant  and  rapid  motion.    . 

The  atmospheric  railway  in  its  present  state  of  development,  consists  of  a 
cast  iron  pipe,  laid  in  lengths,  like  water  and  gas  mains,  between  the  rails 
of  the  line,  and  attached  to  the  cross  sleepers  which  support  them.  On  the 
top  of  this  pipe  is  a  narrow  longitudinal  opening,  which  for. the  purpose  of 
rendering  the  pipe  pro  tempore  air  tight,  is  covered  with  a  valve  as  suggest- 
ed by  Mr.  Medhurst.  This  valve  is*  a  simple  flap  formed  of  a  slip  of  leather 
rivetted  between  narrow  plates  of  iron — the  plates  on  the  exterior  side  being 
flat,  while  those  on  the  under  surface  are  of  a  segmental  form  to  complete 
the  inner  periphery  of  the  tube  when  the  valve  is  closed  down.  On  one  side 
the  leather  is  fastened  down  to  a  longitudinal  rib,  cast  along  the  opemne  in 
the  pipe,  and  being  flexible,  forms  a  species  of  hinge.  The  other  edge, 
when  the  valve  is  shut,  falls  within  a  ridge  cast  upon  the  pipe,  and  forms 
with  it  a  channel  which  is  filled  with  a  composition  of  bees'  wax  and  tallow^. 
This  substance  when  melted  into  the  channel  cements  the  valve  in  its  place, 
rendering  it  to  the  necessary  extent  air  tight.  The  tube  is  of  the  same  di- 
ameter throughout,  and  has  a  piston  fitted  into  it  likewise  made  air  tight,  by 
leather  collars.  At  the  end  of  the  rod  of  the  piston  is  a  counter  weight  to  . 
keep  the  rod,  which  is  about  fifteen  feet  in  length,  parallel  to  the  axis  of  the 
tube.  Upon  this  rod  is  also  a  framp  which  carries  four  wheels,  the  use  of 
which  is  to  open  the  valve  as  the  piston  advances  in  the  tube.  To  it  is  also 
'  attached  the  coulter,  which  is  formed  of  strong  plate  iron,  and  projects  through 
the  longitudinal  opening  in  the  pipe,  forming  a  connection  between  the  pis- 
ton and  the  leading  carriage  or  gtiiding  truck  of  the  train  moving  upon  the 
-  railway.  The  tube  being  exhausted  in  front  of  the  piston  by  an  air  pump 
worked  by  a  steam  engine,  the  piston  is  acted  upon  behind,  and  impelled  for- 
ward by  the  air,  which  finds  admission  into  the  main  by  the  opening  of  the 
valve  on  the  passing  of  the  coulter.  This  opening  through  which  the  coul- 
ter passes  is  raised  only  a  few  feet  in  length  at  a  time,  and  not  in  advance 
of  the  piston.  By  the  operation  of  raising  the  valve  out  of  its  seat,  the  pack- 
ing is  broken  ;  but  the  air  tight  contact  is  again  immediately  reproduced, 
when  the  coulter  has  passed.  The  first  part  of  this  operation  is  effected  by 
a  wheel  attached  to  the  guiding  truck,  which  operating  by  a  spring,  presses 
the  valve  into  its  place,  where  it  is  cemented  by  a  hot  copper  slide,  about  five 
fleet  long  which  passing  over  the  surface  of  the  composition  in  the  groove 
at  the  valve  edge,  renders  it  partially  fluid.  The  valve  being  thus  opened 
and  replaced  air  tight  as  before,  the  tube  is  left  ready  to  be  again  exhausted 
for  the  next  train. 

The  main  pipe  is  prepared  inside  to  receive  the  pislon  in  a  very  simple 
and  economical  manner.  On  the  castings  being  taken  from  the  foundry 
sand,  a  cutter  is  passed  through  them ;  this  if  followed  by  a  wooden  piston, 
which  spreads  the  unguent  in  a  complete  coating  of  even  interior  surface. 
By  the  frequent  passage  of  the  working  piston,  this  tallow  lining,  or  tinning 

■  as  it  were,  becomes  perfectly  smooth  and  nearly  as  hard  as  Paris  plaster,  so 

■  that  the  piston  may  be  considered,  practically  speaking,  to  work  in  a  tube 
of  tallow  protected  by  the  iron  pipe  as  a  casing. 

In  this  mode  of  propulsion,  it  is  clear  that  the  measure  of  the  power  for 
producing  motion  is  the  product  of  the  sectional  area  of  the  main  pipe  mul- 
'  tiplied  by  the  number  of  pounds  pressure  due  to  the  vacuum.  Thus  from  a 
tube  of  twelve  inches  diameter  under  a  vacuum  of  eighteen  inches  of  mer- 
cury, giving  nine  pounds  pressure  per  square  inch,  there  is  obtained  an  at- 
mospheric power  of  fully  1000  pounds — a  result  equivalent  to  the  avera,ge 
adhesivt  power  of  a  locomitve  engine  j   and  capable  with  due  deduction  for 


Atmospheric  Railway. 


29 


friction  and  resistance  of  all  kinds,  of  propelling  ten  carriages  of  46^  tons 
over  a  horizontal  railway ;  and  two  carriages  of  9^  tons  up  an  incline  of  so 
Steep  a  gradiant  as  1  in  28.  On  the  West  London  line  at  Wormwood  scrubs 
where  the  atmospheric  system  has  been  in  constant  and  successful  operation 
under  very  disadvantageous  circumstances,  on  a  length  of  half  a  mile,  for 
the  last  three  years,  the  main  pipe  is  only  nine  inches  diameter.  Up  this 
line,  which  is  an  incline  of  1  in  120.  loads  of  13  tons  have  been  propelled 
at  the  rate  of  20  miles  an  hour.  On  the  Dalkey  branch  of  the  Dublin  and 
Kingstowp  railway,  the  tube  is  15  inches  diameter,  and  the  gradient  of  the 
incline  is  1  in  110.  Up  this  three  carriages  loaded  with  passengers,  have 
been  propelled  over  a  distance  of  If  mile,  at  the  rate  of  40  miles  an  hour. 

With  regard  to  the  velocity  attainable  by  trains  impelled  by  atmospheric 
pressure,  it  may  be  regarded  as  independent  of  load  and  pressure,  and  regu- 
lated almost  entirely  by  the  proportiion  between  the  area  of  the  tube  and  that  ■ 
of  the  exhausting  pump ;  that  is,  by  the  velocity  with  which  the  air  is  with- 
drawn from  the  tube  by  the  pump  ;  the  exhausting  pump  piston  travelling 
at  the  same  speed  as  the  piston  of  the  steam  engine  which  works  it ;  that  is, 
not  exceeding  three  miles  an  hour.  -If  the  trains  are  required  to  travel  at 
the  rate  of  30  miles  an  hour,  then  the  transverse  sectional  area  of  the  air 
pump  must  be  to  that  of  the  pipe  as  10  to  1,  and  the  engine  power  must  be 
provided  accordingly.  This  is  independent  of  Ibad  ;  and  gravity  being  prac- 
tically an  equivalent  augmentation  of  the  load  to  be  moved,  it  is  consequent- 
ly also  independent  of  the  gradient.  In  practice,  atmospheric  leakage  must 
be  taken  into  account,  and  additional  engine  power  provided  for  it  ^  this  iah 
computed  to  be  at  the  rate  of  six  horse  power  per  mile  of  pipe.  V 

;,  To  illustrate  this  still  further :  suppose  the  travelling  load  to  be  50  tons, 
and  the  degree  of  vacuum  necessary  to  obtain  a  given  velocity,  producing  a 
pressure  of  10  pounds  per  square  inch  on  the  piston ;  so  long  as  the  load  is 
the  same  and  the  line  level,  the  train  must  move  with  equal  velocity,  because 
the  speed  is  due  to  the  rapidity  with  which  the  air  is  pumped  out  of  the  pipe. 
But  if  the  load  be  only  25  tons,  starting  with  the  same  pressure  as  with  50 
tons,  the  train  then  runs  faster  than  the  air  is  drawn  out  of  the  pipe,  the 
power  behind  being  so  great  in  the  first  instance,  as  to  force  the  load  forward 
at  an  increasing  rate.  But  the  pump  going  slower  in  proportion  than  the 
train,  the  air  gets  packed  as  it  were  in  front  of  the  pistmi,  and  becoming  less 
rarefied,  must  offer  greater  resistance  ;  the  velocity  of  the  train,  at  first  great- 
ly increased,  gradually  diminishes,  until  the  amount  of  vacuum  becomes 
propbrtionate  to  the  weight  behind  it :  the  train  then  goes  on  uniformly. 
Again,  supposing  the  train  to  start  with  a  load  which  is  rather  heavy  for  the 
degree  of  vacuum,  it  moves  at  first  with  less  required  velocity  ;  but  the  air 
in  this  case  being  withdrawn  quicker  than  the  road  follows,  the  vacuum  be- 
comes more  and  more  perfect ;  and  thus  the  power  increasing  gradually,  the 
train  increases  its  velocity  until  it  becomes  balanced  with  the  vacuum.  To 
ascend  an  incline,  may  be  called  equivalent  to  adding  to  the  load,  and  to  de- 
scend equal  to  diminishing  it ;  when  the  train  therefore  coming  to  an  incline, 
begins  to  ascend,  its  rate  will  gradually  diminish  until  the  power  is  brought 
up  equivallent  to  the  pressure  ;  that  is,  until  the  exhausting  pump  by  going 
faster  than  the  train,  generates  a  power  sufficient  to  impel  it  up  the  ascent. 
In  descending  inclines,  the  trains  will  start  with  increased  velocity  ;  but  the 
vacuum  will  immediately  begin  to  diminish  and  reduce  the  effective  pressure 
behind.  The  moment  the  train  comes  to  the  level,  its  velocity  will  begin  to 
increase  till  the  balance  is  again  restored  between  the  velocity  and  pressure. 
Messrs.  Glegg  and  Samuda,  the  patentees  of  the  atmospheric  railway,  pur- 
pose to  work  their  lines  generally  by  stationary  power,  erected  at  intervals 


30  '  Editorial         ^ 

of  four  or  five  miles  apart ;  and  to  work  the  different  inclines  by  correspond- 
ing degrees  of  vacuum.  By  this  means  they  calculate  on  a  large  saving  of 
first  cost  in  the  construction  of  railways  on  their  system,  and  also  in  their 
maintenance.  *  The  former  of  these  items  they  estimate  at  about  £22,000, 
and  the  latter  at  £1,460  per  mile  below  the  average  cost  of  formation,  and 
expense  of  working  upon  the  locomotive  system.  In  this,  however,  it  must 
be  observed,  the  average  cost  of  construction  is  taken  at  £37,000  per  milej 
whereas  some  of  our  most  important  lines  have  been  laid  down  for  one-third 
less,  and  it  has  been  shown  by  Mr.  Lock,  that  a  very  important  line,  the 
Caledonian,  may  be  made  for  £17,000  a  mile. 

The  most  important  of  the  two  savings  claimed  is  that  in  the  annual  ex- 
penditure ;  and  it  must  he  admitted,  in  looking  at  the  enormous  sacrifice  of 
power  and  mater ieal  in  our  locomotive  system,  that  there  is  much  room  for 
economy  in  this  department.  By  the  application  of  stationary  power — and 
this,  in  many,  if  not  in  most  cases,  might  be  water  power — on  the  atmos- 
pheric system  there  is  nothing  to  be  propelled  except  the  cJlrriage,  and  a 
near  approximation  to  the  full  dynamical  effect  of  the  force  generated  is  ob- 
tained. On  the  locomotive  system,  half  the  load  on  the  average  of  trains 
consists  of  the  engine  and  tender  ;  and  on  the  stationary  system  of  traction 
by  rope  and  pulley  there  is  ,a  large  expenditure  of  power  in  draging  the 
rope  along,  in  bending  it  round  the  drums,  working  the  puUies  along  the 
line,  and  overcoming  the  friction  of  the  other  parts  of  the  attendant  mechan- 
ism. On  the  atmospheric  system,  is  substituted  a  rope  of  air,  without  friction 
or  weight,  and  capable  of  transferring  a  power  that  may  be  called  inex- 
haustible and  boundless. 

•  But  on  this  subject  we  have  not  as  yet  obtained  sufficient  practical  data  to 
waraant  a  strict  comparison.  We  know  that  the  locomotive  system  is  ex- 
pensive in  the  extreme,  and  that  the  mode  of  traction  by  rope  and  pulley  is 
attended  with  practical  difficuUies  and  inconveniences,  which  prevents  its 
adoption  wherever  it  can  be  avoided,  A  short  experience  on  the  Dalkey 
branch,  now  on  the  eve  of  being  regularly  opened,  will  decide  the  question 
to  full  satisfaction  ;  we  await  the  result  with  some  confidence. 

In  conclusion,  we  may  remark  that  the  atmospheric  system  seems  to  hold 
out  one  paramount  advantage  in  its  perfect  safety  from  collisions  and  similar 
accident,  which  on  railways,  even  with  double  lines,  worked  by  locomotive 
engines,  are  always  liable  to  occur.  j 

Since  the  above  was  in  type,  a  Dublin  correspondent  writes  that  the  traiili 
on  the  Dalkey  branch  have  been  running  regularly  with  perfect  success, 
during  the  last  three  weeks,  (Nov.  10th,)  and  that  a  speed  of  fifty  miles  an 
hour  has  already  been  obtained.  So  elated  are  the  promoters  of  the  atmos- 
pheric system,  that  arrangements  are  in  course  of  preparation  for  extending 
the  line  to  Bray. 

The  series  of  communications  from  Charles  EUet,  Esq.,  C.  E.,  in  several 
of  our  late  numbers  has  attracted  much  attention  and  remark.  From  vari- 
ous quarters  we  have  been  urged  to  make  some  comment  upon  these  articles, 
expressive  of  our  dissent  from  the  positions  of  Mr.  Ellet.  For  several  rea- 
sons wc  have  abstained  from  doing  so,  and  chiefly  because — differing  as  he 
does  from  many,  if  not  most  of  the  other  distinguished  members  of  the  pro- 
fession— we  wished  that  his  opinions  should  be  heard  without  any  bias,  and 
without  any  note  or  comment  on  our  own  part.  This  end  has  now  been 
answered,  and  we  feel  at  liberty  to  express  our  opinions  with  the  same  fre- 
dom  which  we  have  always  felt  disposed  to  grant  to  others. 


« 


EdiLonal.  ^  ..^r  -  ^^Pf* 

views,  no  matter  how  warmly, — provided  this  is  done  with  decency  and 
propriety — \ye  not  only  cheerfully  give  place  to  him,  but  urge  a  continuance 
— convinced  that  if  any  error  is  advocated,  it  can  easily  and  readily  be  re- 
futed by  members  of  the  profession,  all  of  whom  are  welcome  to  our  pages. 
Moreover,  the  discussion  of  error,  if  not  childish  or  trifling  in  its  character, 
is  sure  to  end  in  good  ;  and  when  the  life  and  soul  of  the  railroad  system 
are  at  stake,  it  certainly  must  prove  jm  inducement  for  sovie  one  to  engage 
in  its  defence. 

In  several  previous  articles  we  have  alluded  to  the  manner  in  which  this 
subject  should  be  discussed,  and  we  must  confess  that  Mr.  Ellet  has  ap- 
proached more  nearly  than  any  one  else  to  the  spirit  in  which  we  desire  to 
see  the  question  taken  up.  We  differ  from  Mr.  Ellet,  however,  as  to  the 
value  and  correctness  of  his  data,  at  least  in  one  of  the  most  important  points 
— ^the  deterioration  and  wear  of  iron.  The  articles  of  Mr  Ellet  show  a  ^ 
vast  deal  of  research,  and  labor;  they  are  therefore  entitled  to  a  respectful  - 
and  careful  examination.  But  if  the  whole  amount  of  railroad  statistics  in 
our  possession  had  been  used  as  data  in  the  formation  of  the  rules  or  formu- 
la proposed,  much  more  general  satisfaction  would  have  been  given.  For- 
tunately, the  precise  and  systematical  method  of  Mr.  E.  allows  of  the  readi- 
est correction  of  his  own  errors,  for  such  do  undoubtedly  exist.' 

The  great  and  vital  mistake,  in  our  opinion,  is  the  enormous,  and  as  we 
imagine,  unwarranted  amount  of  deterioration   assigned  to   railroad  iron. 
vWe  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  if  the  opinions — for  they  are  but  opinions —   . 
of  Mr.  Ellet  are  correct  upon  this  point,  the  whole  railroad  system  in  this 
country  must  fall  to  the  ground,  and  in  Europe  should  by  this  time  have  al-   ']. 
ready  been  abandoned.     This  is  not  the  case,  and  we  have  from  this  circura-    , 
stance  alone  a  reasonable  doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  position  assumed 
by  Mr.  E.     His  data  for  this  are  taken  from  two  roads,  in  themselves  unfair 
examples,  and  not  correctly  stated.     Any  inference,  based  upon  so  narrow  a 
foundation,  and  leading  to  such  momentous  consequences,  has  been  well 
characterised  by  a  celebrated  writer  as  an  inverted  pyramid,  with  the  apex 
to  the  ground — a  fair  case  of  unstable  equilibrium. 

But  it  is  not  our  intention  to  enter  into  this  discussion,  which  should  be, 
as  we  have  before  said,  based  upon  strict  argument  upon  all  the  data  in  our 
possession.     If  the  cause  of  railroads  in  general  is  at  stake,  its  defence  cer- 
tainly must  depend  upon  better  qualified  and  more  influential  advocates  than 
ourselves.     The  pages  of  this  Journal  are  open  to  all,  and  we  urge  upon 
ail  concerned  to  take  part  in  the  settlement  of  the  most  important  question 
ever  presented  to  the  profession.     It  is  not  in  our  power  at  present,  even  if  ; 
80  disposed,  to  fight  single  handed  the  battles  of  railroads  in  general ;  in  this   ~ 
matter  we  feel  quite  independant ;  we  are  under  no  obligations  to  railroads 
generally,  and  all  our  labors  on  their  behalf  have  hitherto  been  so  miserably    : 
ewarded,  that  we  think  it  a  hard  case  to  fight  without  pay  and  furnish  our  : . 
own  amunilion  in  the.lt^rgain. 


. -■)   ■ 


a» 


Railroad  Reports. 


We  have  wished  to  express  our  own  individual  opimon,  and  having  so 
done,  we  open  our  pages  to  all  who  are  disposed  to  enter  into  the  argument 

—only  asking  for  fair  play  on  all  sides. 

X  . 

RAIT.ROAD    REPORTS. 

It  has  been  a  common  remark  by  many  deeply  interested  persons,  thai  the 
manner  in  which  the  annual  reports  are  made,  by  railroad  companies,  ren- 
ders it  all  but  impossible  to  arrive  at  a  correct  understanding  of  their  details. 
There  is  seldom  such  a  classification  of  the  various  items  of  expense  as  will 
enable  an  uninnitiated  or  unprofessional  reader  to  arrive  at  the  true  resuUs  ; 
consequently  the  great  majority  of  the  stockholders,  and  others  who  may 
desire  to  become  such,  are  unable  to  judge  whether  it  is  safe  for  them  to  hold 
or  to  purchase  stock  in  such  companies.  Another  common  remark  is  that 
there  would  be  great  convenience  if  the  reports  of  all  railroad  companies 
were  made,  as  far  as  possible,  in  tabular  form, — so  that  the  various  items  of 
expense  shall  always  be  found  in  every  report,  in  the  same  place,  and  under 
their  appropriate  heads  ;  and  we  speak  the  sentiments  of  thousands,  when 
we  say  that  much  benefit  will  result  to  the  cause  of  railroads  by  the  adop- 
tion of  a  tabular  form  of  report  which  shall  give  each  item  of  expense  un- 
der its  appropriate  and  distinct  head. 

Our  views  upon  this  subject  have  been  more  than  once  expressed  in  these 
columns,  and  repeated  calls  have  been  made  upon  those  gentlemen,  whose 
experience  in  the  construction  and  management  of  important  lines,  will  en- 
able them  to  draw  out  a  form,  comprising  all  the  requisite  heads,  for  publi- 
cation in  the  Journal.  As  will  be  seen  in  this  number,  our  call  has  been  re- 
sponded to  in  a  manner  highly  gratifying  to  us,  and  we  think  it  will  be 
found  an  exceedingly  comprehensive  and  valuable  document  to  the  profession ; 
and  we  venture,  in  their  behalf,  as  we  do  most  heartily  in  our  own,  to  thank 
Mr.  Latrobe  for  preparing  it.  With  this  form  before  them,  we  hope  each 
railroad  company  to  whom  it  may  be  sent — and  we  shall  send  a  copy  of  the 
Journal  containing  it  to  the  president  of  each  road,  both  in  this  country  and 
in  Europe,  where  we  can  obtain  the  proper  direction — will  adopt  the  form 
in  making  their  reports,  and  send  us  a  copy  at  their  earliest  convenience — 
that  we  may  make  out  a  general  table,  exhibiting  at  one  glance,  a  compara- 
tive statement  of  the  expenses  on  all  railroads.  Such  a  table  will  be  useful, 
as  it  will  lead  to  a  more  rigid  economy,  and  to  great  reduction  in  many 
items  of  expense.  •• 

If  desirable,  we  will  furnish  the  different  companies  with  these  blanks, 
in  such  numbers  as  they  may  desise,  at  any  time,  without  delay,  on  receiv- 
ing their  order,  as  it  is  stereotyped.    '  '-• '-*i' 

Jl3*Subscribers  will  please  recollect  that  this  number  commences  a  new 
volume  ;  and  they  will  do  well  to  apply  soon  for  missing  numbers  of  the  past 
volume.  Those  who  are  in  arrears  for  subscription  will  relieve  their  own 
consciences,  and  our  necessities  by  an  early  remittance.  i 

ERRATUM.— Article— "Dnration  of  railroad  iron"— 8th  line  from  bottom  of  page,  for  "400  milu 
completed,"  read  4000  miles  completed. 


CONTENTS: 


Page.  Page. 

Transportation  on  railroads — by  Charles  Eilet,  iDuration  ot  railroad  iron — remarks  on  Mr.  El- 

Jr,  civil  engineer,  1       let's  formula — .I.E.  B.,                                              2S 

Notes  on  practical  encineerinj:,  8  Wear  of  iron  rails — remarks  on   Mr.  Ellet'g  for- 

Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellet's  formul«— <l,.  10]     mula— W^.  R.  Caney.                                                23 

Baltimiirn  and  Ohio  railroad  report,  Vi  Railroad  dividends.— Price*  of  pork  &  poultry,   26 

Form  of  a  statistical  table,  19  Atmospheric  railways,                                               S$ 

Coluaibi*  and  Iltiladelphia  railroa<l,       .  .,-'  SOEditorial, 


..f 


AMERICAN 

-"    RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 

AND 

MECHANICS' MAGAZINE.         ,i;l 


Published  Monthly  at  23  Chambers-st  New  York,  ;  ^  By  GEO.  C.  SGHAEFFER,  and 

at  92  a-yeax,  in  advance,  or  3  copies  tot  95.       \  (  D.  K.  MINOK,  Editors. 

'^Si^ries.'^  j       ~        FEBRUARY,  1844.  r\t.x>aF 

.^ — .^ — — ^ —^ —  a 

For  the  American  Railroad  Joornal  and  Mechanics'  Ma^zine. 
RERCARKS   ON   MR.  ELLET*S  FORMULA COST   OF  TRANSPORTATION  ON  RAILWAYS. 

In  the  December  number  of  your  Journal,  my  remarks  on  this  formula 
of  Mr.  Ellet's,  were  perhaps  sufficient  to  show  that  it  was  not  possible  to 
construct  one,  which  could  be  of  any  practical  use  for  determining  the  pre- 
sent value  of  any  specific  railway,  and  still  less  of  one  in  contemplation,  the 
constant  tendency  towards  amelioration  in  all  the  departments  of  this  improve- 
ment, rendering  the  data  of  to-day  no  longer  applicable  on  the  morrow.  It 
was  there  also  shown,  that  in  the  very  nature  of  the  railway,  the  condition  is 
implied  that  it  must  always  be  kept  up  in  full  repair,  the  neglect  of  this  con- 
dition leading  to  its  abandonment  by  the  public,  and  the  consequent  ruin  of 
the  concern.  Hence  like  old  wine,  a  railway  should  be  and  generally  is,  al) 
the  better  for  its  age,  and  it  may  be  broadly  asserted,  as  the  result  of  this 
condition.,  that  there  is  not  one  of  our  earliest  railways  of  any  note,  which 
is  not  now  better  than  it  ever  was,  and  is,  moreover,  daily  growing  better  in 
some  one  or  other  of  its  details.  Even  in  the  case  of  the  Columbia,  a  Penn- 
sylvania State  road,  this  is  strongly  exemplified,  the  daily  expense  of  man- 
agement being  reduced  to  $350  per  day  in  1843^38  compared  with  $760  per 
day  in  1839  and  1840,  the  result  as' well  of  improvements  as  of  .better  econ- 
omy. Every  railway  must  thus  stand  on  its  ovm  merits,  no  two  being  found 
stifficiently  under  a  parity  of  circumstances  to  admit  of  the  one  being  any 
rule  for  the  other,  this  being  long  since  received  as  an  axiom  with  all  intelli- 
gent railway  engineers. 

I  shall  now  continue  my  remarks  upon  the  further  article  which  appeared 
in  your  December  number,  from  Mr.  Ellet,  in  support  of  his  formula. 

In  the  first  place  he  gives  another  table  of  the  repairs  and  expenses  o(  en- 
gines and  cars  for  several  roads,  which  is  good,  so  f^r  as  it  shows  a  variance 
in  this  item  of  from  five  to  ten  cents  per  mile  run,  or  of  100  percent. ;  but  of 
what  »]f";  is  an  average  for  'particular  application  from  such  extremes  as  this  ? 

In  Jhe  next  place  he  gives  another  table  of  the  repairs  and  expenses  of 
&irfuiid-  engines  hr  several  roads  returned  in  one  itepi^  ^  which  he  pro- 


. /',. ^; -i-^r.^ i-'\:M.  ■  V_- .V-^-  . 


Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellefs  Formula. 

perly  remarks,  "  it  is  the  custom  of  many  companies  to  publish  the  cost  of 
repairs  of  their  engines  and  cars  in  a  specific  item,  so  as  to  make  it  impossi- 
hU  for  the  reader  to  determine  from  their  accounts  what  portion  of  the  bill 
was  created  by  the  engines,  or  the  difference  between  the  repairs  due  to  dii- 
ferent  sorts  of  cars."  Nothing  daunted  by  this  incongruous  mixture,  he 
proceeds  with  his  deductions,  and  tojix  laws  for  these  expenses,  giving  and 
taking  as  it  suits  his  purpose,  and  reduced  also  occasionally  to  the  hard  ne- 
cessity of  being  obliged  to  suppose. 

A  seeming  approach,  now  and  then,  to  some  agreement  between  the  actu-  ' 
al  expenses  and  the  calculated  ones,  by  his  formula,  has  naturally  the  effect 
of  misleadiog  him,  -when  it  is  only  the  result  of  accident,  and  comes  from 
the  roads  compared  by  him  being  nearly  all  alike  in  the  small  ratio  which 
the  actual  business  done  by  their  establishments  and  machinery,  bears  to  the 
much  greater  amount  they  would  be  equal  to,  did  the  business  exist  for  them. 
This  feature  is  strongly  marked  on  all  his  tables,  and  is  at  first  inseparable 
from  a  railway,  which  in  itself  and  its  equipment  must  be  a  good  deal  ahead 
of  the  business  existing  for  it  at  the  outset,  but  as  experience  shows  that  un- 
der the  influence  of  a  railway,  this  business  has  a  constant  tendency  to  el- 
pansion,  while  at  the  same  time  all  the  parts  of  the  machine,  getting  to  be 
worked  more  in  unison  and  towards  the  one  single  purpose  of  economy,  its 
earnings  increase,  and  the  proportion  of.  its  expenditures  diminish.     This 
has  been  signally  manifested  in  the  case  of  the  Columbia  road  just  adverted 
to,  as  well  as  in  that  of  perhaps  the  earliest  pioneer  in  this  improvement  with 
steam  power,  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railway,  which,  after  narrowly  escap- 
ing the  trials  of  infancy,  has  been  of  late  years  gradually  approaching  to- 
wards a.  fullness  of  business,  and  of  this  even  Mr.  EUet  could  not  help  being 
struck,  when  he  remarks,  that  the  actual  cost  for  the  road  fitlls  considerably 
below  the  computed  cost  for  1843,  but  without  perceiving,  or  being  willing 
to  acknowledge,  that  it  was  owing  to  this  expansive  tendency ;  another  re- 
markable instance  of  which  I  find  in  the  Georgia  railroad  report  for  1843, 
in  which  it  is  stated,  that  with  an  increase  of  only  353  miles  run  by  ^e  en- 
gines, it  delivered  in  that  year  23,000  bales  of  cotton  more  than  in  1842. 
At  this  rate  Mr.  EUet's  formula  would  be  kept  for  ever  at  feult     In  Eng- 
land, in  the  midst  of  its  dense  population  and  business,  few  railways  suffered 
long  in  a  disproportion  of  iheir  establishments,  and  the  work  for  them  to  do ; 
but  here,  in  this  cotmtry,  where  these  essential  elements  of  success  are  sparse 
and  small,  much  disappointment  had  to  be  suffered  and  patience  borne,  before 
in  most  cases,  that  evil  could  be  overoome.     This  expansive  principle  is  ever 
active  on  railways,  and,  tinder  loio  charges,  being  more  particularly  in- 
fluenced by  it  than  any  of  its  rivals,  its  chances  of  survival  and  of  ultimate 
triumph  are  generally  the  best  in  cases  where  it  may  have  to  contend  against 
strong  and  unusual  competition,  and  the  business  is  not  more  than  enough 
for  one.     No  bettor  evidence  can  he  adduced  of  any  extended  confidence  with 
the  public  in  this  improvement,  than  the  rise  in  the  stock  of  most  railways, 
the  Reading  included,  in  the  last  few  months,  some  of  them  bearing  the  high- 


Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellefs  Formula.         |.  • 

est  premiums  of  any  on  the  stock  list  While  on  this  part  of  the  subject,  we 
cannot  do  better  than  quote  what  is  said  of  it  in  England,  where  the  interest 
being  large,  it  is  likely  to  be  best  understood,  and  where  the  most  unbounded 
reliance  on  its  permanent  safety  as  a  profitable  investment  is  being  constantly 
manifested,  which  could  not  be,  either  there  or  here,  if  Mr,  EUet's  theory 
were  true. 

"  Other  things  being  alike,  if  the  receipts  are  higher,  the  percentage  of  expense  will  be 
le«8 — and  vice  versa ;  again,  the  more  business,  the  less  in  proportion  is  the  expense  at 
which  it  can  be  dsne,  simply  because  the  standing  expenses  will  bear  a  less  proportion  to 
the  receipts  when  great  than  when  httle.  In  det«nmning  the  comparative  value,  or  the 
per  centage  of  profit  on  different  lines  of  railway,  the  first  consideration  is  to  look  at  their 
reactive  amounts  of  capital,  as  the  smaller  this  may  be,  the  more  likely  is  it  to  pay  weU. 
This  is  affected  by  many  circumstances,  not  always  controllable,  but  in  respect  to  which 
It  is  now  only  of  use  to  remark,  that  after  a  vast  amount  of  dear  bought  experience,  the 
first  outlay  can  now  generally  be  kept  down  to  a  saving  of  one-third  of  the  old  limits,  and 
for  &  very  superior  article.  Between  recently  built  railways,  and  still  more  so  with  those 
which  may  be  contemplated,  and  their  pioneer  progenitors,  comparisons  in  first  cost  and  in 
Useful  and  profitable  effect  vnll  no  tonger  hold,  where  they  connect  equally  suitable  points." 

Thus  for  England  at  least  the  railway  system  is  considered  not  only  per- 
manently safe,  but  can  be  relied  upon  as  continuing  to  maintain  a  progessive 
.  career.  Here,  however,  this  encouraging  view  is  not  so  general,  and  the 
counter  interest  of  canals,  is  forever  busy  in  repressing  it — and  not  satisfied 
with  endeavoring  to  make  it  the  most  self-devouring  machine  by  its  ordinary 
expenses.  Mr.  Ellet  thinks  he  has  brought  ag^ainst  it  a  "-  wear  of  iron," 
which  alone  would  be  beyond  compensation  by  any  probable  amount  of 
business,  and  under  which  the  whole  system  must  inevitably  break  down. 
But  on  this  main  item  of  the  wear  of  the  rail  let  me  quote  his  awn  words, 
that  he  may  not  be  misunderstood. 

As  a  sort  of  summary  of  his  views  on  this  head,  he  remarks : 

1st.  "  That  great  errors  have  been  committed  in  the  consideration  of  this  subject,  m 
overlooking  the  fact,  that  the  progress  of  the  wear  is  rarely  ascertained,  or  in  the  least  ap- 
preciated, until  the  rail  is  destroyed.  The  annual  charge  for  iron  is  very  small,  because  in 
general  the  track  does  not  appear  to  give  way  until  it  is  nearly  unfit  for  use.  When  re- 
pairs really  commence,  the  aestruction  is  so  far  advanced  that  the  iron  must  be  renewed, 
and  if  the  directors  assert,  as  they  usnaHy  do,  in  their  next  report  to  the  stockholders,  that 
experience  has  shown  that  the  original  iron  is  ver^  bad,  and  has  all  been  crushed,  the  ex- 
planation is  satisfactory,  and  the  cost  of  the  new  iron  is  forthwith  charged  to  the  account 
of  construction." 

In  order  to  show  the  estimate  of  loss  he*  has  arrived  at  on  a  particular 
form  of  rail,  and  after  distinctly  stating  that  he  considers  the  so  catted  im- 
proved edge  rails  as  more  perishable,  he  remarks, 

2d.  "  That  the  common  half-inch  flat  bar,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  is  adequate  to 
the  transportation  of  150,000  tons  of  freight.  Such  a  bar  on  the  Petersburg  road,  where 
the  freight  amounts  to  some  25,000  tons,  would  resist  the  wear  of  some  six  years'  business; 
but  if  the  trade  of  one  year  of  the  Schuylkill  canal  (say  7  to  800,000  tons)  were  poured 
along  it,  the  iron  part  of  the  track  would  need  entire  renewal  six  times  in  one  year. 

But  few  of  our  readers  can  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  novelty  of  the  idea  in.  ■ 
the  first  quotation,  that  the  destruction  of  a  rail  thus  steals  upon  one  like  a 
thief  in  the  night,  and  not  being  in  the  least  appreciated,  until  the  whole  track 
breaks  down  at  once ;  and  still  more  novel  will  it  seem  to  them,  that  the  cost 
of  renewal  is  all  supplied  forthwith  in  a  lump,  by  merely  asking  for  it. 
This  is  a  readiness  of  means,  which  few,  if  any,  of  our  railways  ever  sus- 
pected themselves  of  possessing,  under  ordinary  circumstances  ;  and  und^ 


*    i-: 


-^s,'*  -'■.       -■»♦ 


Remarks  on  Mr.  Elhfs  Formnla. 


such  effects  as  Mr.  Ellet  attributes  to  a  Schuylkill  freshet  of  tonnage.,  not 

one  of  them  would  hope  to  escape,  in  the  money  line,  utter  extinguishment. 

In  my  own  justification,  however,  1  should  state,  that  I  doubted  much 

'  whether  these  quotations  should  be  treated  seriously,  as  carrying  in  them 
their  own  refutation  ;  but  as  the  public  in  general  look  but  seldom  into  this 
subject,  or  have  the  means  of  much  correct  information  in  respect  to  it,  I 

,  have  thought  it  as  well  to  show  that  it  is  only  by  an  entire  ignorance  or  per- 
version, through  misunderstanding  I  hope,  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  that  Mr. 
fillet  has  been  able  to  concoct  such  results. 

Everybody  knows  more  or  less  of  the  origin  of  steam  railways  for  the 
purpose  of  quicker  travel  and  transportation.  Not  knowing  better,  they  com- 
menced with  a  light  plate  rail,  but  soon  found  out,  that  the  stringer  or  con' 

,  timunis  support  it  required,  could  not  be  kept  continuous,  but  was  forever  de- 
caying and  leaving  the  rail  unequally,  by  which  it  was  sooner  or  later  b«it 
into  ridges,  according  to  the  weight  of  the  then  more  destructive  locomotive. 
This  soon  induced  the  use  of  a  thicker  flat  bar,  and  so  on  from  the  plate  rail 
of  16  pounds,  the  weight  has  been  gradually  increased  to  80  pounds  per 

.  yard,  disposed'of  in  various  shapes  to  produce  the  greates  possible  strength, 
principally  to  meet  a  continued  increase,  until  lately  in  this  country,  of  weight 

.  of  locomotive,  the  best  form  of  rail  for  this  purpose  being  yet  an  open  ques- 
tion, and  in  which  further  improvements  will  continue  to  be  made  as  sug- 
gested by  experience.  It  is  in  the  course  of  these  transitions  during  the  last 
fifteen  years,  from  light  to  heavier  rails,  in  search  in  fact  of  the  adequate — 
and  towards  which,  in  England,  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester,  as  the  pio- 
neer, contributed  so  liberally — that  Mr.  Ellet  has  thought  to  find  his  cases 
of  destructiwi,  and  to  assume  upon  these  mere  replacements  of  a  heavier  for 
a  lighter  rail,  that  a  serious  dead  loss  was  incurred,  when  in  feet  the  old  and 
merely  defaced  iron  often,  in  the  case  particularly  of  the  flat  rail,  always  Te- 
alized  first  cost,  and  sometimes  a  profit ;  that  on  the  Mine  Hill  road  having, 
as  one  instance,  sold  at  870  per  ton.  Here,  then,  is  found  the  true  version 
of  the  several  cases  of  rails  destroyed,  as  adduced  by  Mr.  Ellet,  and  that  this 
is  so,  as  well  as  that  there  may  exist  not  even  a  shadow  of  ground  for  the 
very  perishable  character  he  attributes  to  it,  but  on  the  contrary,  that  it  has 
abundantly  proved  itself  to  possess  a  suitable  durability,  I  subjoin  a  list  of 
roads  on  which  the  rails  were  laid  some  time  prior  to  those  cited  by  Mr.  El- 
let as  long  since  destroyed,  which  are  still  in  use,  and  likely  to  remain  so 
until  the  concerns  can  aflTord  to  change  them,  or  for  an  indefinite  period. 
The  following  are  those,  among  several  others,  that  I  will  refer  to,  as  having 
still  down  their  original  iron,  either  in  whole  or  in  part: 


The  Mohawk  «tnd  Hadsoa,  Flat  rail  In  ast>  for     10  years,  6team  power. 

The  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  do.    <40  milet  of  old  track)  12     "  " 

The  Harlem  railroad,  'do.  11     "  Horse  and  steam  power. 

The  Utica  and  Schenectady,  do.  7      "  Steam  power. 

The  Columbia  road,  Edge  rail  9     " 


\r' 


All  these  roads  have  had  their  iron  put  to  the  severest  test,  the  Harlem  in 
particular,  over  the  city  part  of  the  track,  some  300,000  tons  in  human  flesh 
ajid  cars  passing  annually,  suid  which  must  by  this  time  have  borne  over  one 


V 


'ii:^.':.x  'm 


^«  Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellefs  Formukk^/:  .     |p| 

inillion  of  tons.  The  other  roads  have  all  been  battered  by  the  heaviest  lo- 
comotives, and  made  to  suffer  especially  on  their  curves,  from  which  few  are 
exempt,  and  ahhough  made  ho  account  of  by  Mr.  Ellet,  are  the  most  fruit- 
ful source  of  wear  and  tear  to  both  road  and  machinery,  particularly  on  the 
<^olumbia  railroad.  But  as  establishing  the  fact  of  the  little  injury  sustained 
by  the  flat  rail  from  the  rolling  of  mere  tonnage  over  it,  we  find  by  reference 
to  their  reports  that  there  have  passed  up  to  this  time  over  the  ^^* 

MancK  Chunk  Lefaigh  railnnd  in  coal  descending  and  ascending  cars  a  tonaaee  of  3,160,000  tpns 
Lackawanna  «  «  u  iT  2,600,000    " 

MineHUl  n  u  u  «  1,600  000    " 

Nqw  as,  the  rail  could  save  nothing  hy  rest,  the  wear  would  be  the  same  had 
the  above  tonnage  passed  over  it  in  a  month,  or  in  a  series  of  years,  and 
therefore  for  Mr.  Ellet  to  assert  that  such  a  mere  bagatelle,  comparatively, 
as  160,000  tons,  would  destroy  the  Petersburg  rail  in  six  years,  and  that  the 
tonnage  of  the  Schuylkill  for  one  year,  about  one-fourth  of  that  already 
passed  over  the  Mauch  Chunk  road,  would  require  it  to  be  renewed  six  timts 
in  one  year,  is  utterly  preposterous.  Neither  do  the  parties  concerned  in. 
the  above  roads  entertain  a  doubt  of  the  iron  on  them  continuing  to  be  use- 
ful for  many  years  to  come,  all  of  them  showing  annually  an  increased 
transportatibu.  ButVhat  is  most  singular,  is  to  find  Mr.  Ellet  maintaining 
that  all  the  world  have  been  asleep  in  this  matter  of  the  sudden  breaking 
down  of  the  iron  gn  railways,  and  that  as  it  were,  it  has  been  left  to  him  to 
give  the  first  alarm  and  wake  them  up.  It  would  indeed  be  marvellous,  if  at 
this  late  day,  no  notice  had  been  taken  of  this  very  important  fact,  or  that  it 
would  not  indeed  have  proclaimed  itself  and  have  arrested  the  furt^r  pro- 
secution of  the  railway,  particularly  in  England,  where  the  iron  is  treated 
without  mercy  -  as  regards  weight  of  locomotive,  length  of  train  and  above 
all  in  the  highest  speeds — 30  miles  for  travel,  and  15  miles  per  hour  foi 
freight  What  took  so  many  of  the  Cofftinental  engineers  to  England,  and 
afterwards  brougiit  tliem  here,  but  to  learn  how  it  stood  in  particular,  in  re 
spect  to  this  vital  part  of  the  system.  And  does  not  the  spread  since  of  rail 
ways  over  all  the  Contenent,  establish  the  fact,  that  the  cost  for  renewal  nrom 
wear  of  the  rail,  as  I  stated  in  my  former  remarks,  was  ascertained  by  them 
to  be  compassable  by  a  moderate  annual  charge  after  allowing  for  old  ma- 
terial, generally  worth  two-thirds  of  the  new  ;  and  this  without  limit  to  the 
trade  to  be  passed  over  it  ?  This  being  most  particularly  important  to  the 
Continent,  where  iron  is  generally  expensive,  pains  were  in  consequence 
taken  to  be  sure  of  the  fact.  The  latest  reference  we  can  fead  to  the  subject 
in  England,  where  it  is  now  no  longer  matter  of  cwicem,  is  in  a  lecture  of 
Professor  Vignoles,  and  he  there  says : 

"  That  the  result  of  a  variety  of  experiments  on  the  malleable  iron  nils  of  the  Stockton 
and  Darlington  colliery  railway  gives  one-tenth  of  a  pound  per  yard  per  annum,  as  the  ab- 
solute amount  of  fair  abrasion.  Some  statements,  however,  made  it  much  higher,  beiiv 
one-sixth  of  a  pound  per  yard.  On  the  Killing  worth  colliery  it  was  one-eighth  of  a  pound. 
On  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  some  years  ago,  the  wear  was  fiiund  constant  at  about 
one-tenth  of  a  pound  per  yard  per  annum.  At  Xim  rate  it  woiild  take  100  years  to  wear 
away  a  rail  froni^  mere  abrasion ;  but  later  experiwjce  shows  that  the  increased  weight  of 
the  iocomotive  acts  very  destructivdy  od  rails  whose  appez  wcbe  are  not  suffidently  •troog 


•P"  Remarks  on  Mr.  ElM  s  Formula. 

and  of  the  beat  manufiicture.    We  may  take  ten  tons  aa  the  present  average  we^ht  on 
one  pair  of  driving  wheels  of  EngUsh  kxiomotives."  j 

The  colliery  railways  here  alluded  to  by  him  pass  annually  700,000  to 
800,000  tons  by  steam  pdwer,  and  confirm  the  experience  here  that  from 
mere  abrasion  the  loss  to  the  rail  is  the  merest  trifle,,  and  which  is  only  of 
any  moment,  when  in  the  case  of  inferior  iron  it  is- liable  to  be  partially  torn 
and  exfoliated  by  the  slipping,  principally  on  the  curves^,  of  heavy  locomo--! 
tives.  A  good  deal  of  bad  iron  of  both  flat  and  edge  rails  was  at  first  imposed 
on  railways,  both  here  and  in  England,  forming  the  exception  and  not  the 
rule  in  the  case.  This  arose  partly  in  the  attempt  of  the  English  to  make 
as  cheap  rails  as  the  Welsh  manufacturers,  without  having  as  good  mineral, 
and  leaving  out  some  of  the  refining  processes,  and  this  was  not  at  first  so 
much  cared,  for,  until  the  hammering  of  the  locomotive  taught  them  that  the 
top  tables  of  the  rails  at  least  could  hardly  be  too  good  and  malleable,  and 
to  these  the  proper  degree  of  toughness  is  now  given.  In  England  the  iron 
on  railways  is  like  the  wood  in  this  country,  cheap  and  not  so  much  an  ob- 
ject, and  hence  they  coufd  be  liberal  fn  the  weight  of  rail,  rather  than  seek 
to  diminish  that  of  the  locomotive,  which  would  there  involve  a  loss  of 
power  they  could  not  afford.  But  here  our  interest  has  been  to  economise 
iron  in  the  rail,  and  to  this  end  all  the  mechanical  ingenuity  in  thia  line  has 
been  turned,  imtil  the  desideratum  has  been  at  last  attained  of  making  all 
the  weight  of  the  engine  useful,  at  the  same  time,  so  distributed  that  with 
treble  the  power  of  the  old  style  of  machine,  it  presses  but  little  more  on  the 
riil  than  an  ordinary  car — ^that  is,  the  pressure  from  any  single  driver  need 
not  exceed  two  tons,  while  in  England  it  is  four  to  five  tons,  with  only  half 
the  efficiency.  The  economy  of  this  improvement  must  pervade  the  whole 
system,  and  may  be  said  to  make  a  new  era  in  it,  at" which  Mr,  EUet'S  for- 
mula, based  on  old  or  obsolete  data,  must  cease  to  be  applicable,  if  at  any 
time  it  were  good  for  anything.  The  thanks  of  all  the  lighter  roads  and 
with  unfavorable  grades,  and  indeed  of  all  sorts  of  railways  are  fully  due  to 
MesMS.  Baldwin  and  Whitney  for  this  their  latest  ingenious  effort;  and 
many  have  already  given  more  substantial  proois  of  acknowledgment,  by 
the  adoption  of  this  admirable  engine,  and  all  of  them,  after  several  months 
trial,  testifying  to  their  unequivocal  superiority.  It  will  be  at  once  per- 
ceived how  great  may  be  the.  saving  of  iron  on  a  road  using  these  locomo- 
tives, with  which  50  pounds  to  the  yard  would  be  our  maximum. 

I  would  here  notice  the  very  crude  notions  entertained  commonly  as  to 
the  relative  cost  of  transportation  on  a  railway  of  passengers,  merchandize, 
minerals  and  other  heavy  products,  !he  impression  being  that  travel  is  that 
which  costs  least,  when,  according  to  Professor  Vignolea,  whose  experience 
is  not  small,  he  states  it  to  be  twelve  times  dearer  than  minerals,  and  six 
times  dearer  than  merchandize,  carrying  weight  for  weight,  or  reducing 
them  all  to  tons.  This,  in  the  case  of  minerals,  as  coal,  arises  in  its  being 
the  only  species  of  transportation  which  always  affords  full  loads,  and  the 
saving  generally  in  the  comparatively  low  speed  at  which  it  is  carried ;  and 


.»»'l.>^'    .i.  ^iK- 


1 


iienarhson  Mr.  JBitef&Formui^^  "     l|p 

this  explains  why  the  coilvery  railways  in  England  pay  best,  notwithstanding 
the  very  low  rates  at  which  they  carry,  even  with  indifferent  gradients  and 
for  their  weights,  comparatively  inefficient  engines  for  so  doing.  Some  there 
are,  who,  when  its  carriage  is  associated  with  a  railway,  entertain  the  school 
day  notion,  that  a  ton  of  coal,  in  particular,  is  heavier  than  a  ton  of  feathers^ 
when  in  fact  the  latter,  not  any  lighter  of  course,  is  the  more  cumbrous  to 
carry,  as  may  well  be  imagined  of  a  train  of  800  to  1000  bales  of  cotton, 
now  a  common  sight  on  our  light  southern  roads,  since  the  introduction  of 
the  locomotive  just  alluded  to,  and  equal  to  320  tons  gross  load,  over  90  and 
"37  feet  grades,  at  a  speed  of  10  miles  per  hour,  the  engine  weighing  about 
12  tons  on  6  drivers. 

It  would  appear,  however,  that  the  great  aim  of  Mr.  EUet,  ui  all  this  sta- 
tistical diligence  and  research,  is  to  prove  the  certain  failure  of  the  Reading 
railway,  in  its  present  attempt  to  wrest  the  coal  trade  from  the  Schuylkill 
canal,  to  which  it  runs  parallel,  between  Philadelphia  and  Pottsville.  If 
railways  could  be  kept  in  a  state  of  infancy,  and  coniined  to  mere  travel  and 
a  small  amoutU  of  freight,  Mr.  Ellet's  attention  might  not  perhaps  have  beai 
aroused  ]  but  this  is  not  so,  and  as  he  expresses  it — "Railways  are  now 
constructed  to  take  the  place  of  important  canals,  and  to  furnish  the  means  of 
transport  for  the  keavy  froducts  of  the  earth  at  exceeding  low  rates."  As 
the  consequence  of  this  attempt  of  the  Reading  railway,  Mr,  EUet  asserts, 

1st.  •'  That  it  will  not  withstand  the  rolling  of  the  trade  of  the  Schnylkill  (7  to  800,000 
tons)  tar  one  ^ear. 

2a.  "  That  it  will  cost  from  50  to  75  cents  to  replace  the  il-on  which  is  destroyed  by  each 
ton  of  coal  that  descends  from  Pottsville  to  Richmond  on  the  present  track." 

As  to  the  first  assertion,  the  testimony  already  adduced  by  me,  proves  the 
flat  bar  rail  to  possess  sufficient  durability,  and  might  suffice  for  all  other 
forms,  but  as  the  rail  on  the  Reading  road  is  of  the  edge  pattern,  and  pro- 
nounced by  Mr.  EUet  to  be  the  feebler  of  the  two,  it  will  be  useful  to.  show 
that  this,  like  all  else  that  he  asserts  of  the  railway,  is  marked  by  the  same 
inverted  and  therefore  perverted,  view  of  the  subject,  which  misleads  him 
and  all  kindred  reasoners,  while  the  improvement  is  flourishing  all  arotmd 
them,  into  the  mistaken  belief  that  its  days  are  nigh  being  numbered.  It 
happens,  unfortiUiately  for  him,  however,  that  this  very  Reading  railroad  al- 
ready furnishes  itself  the  test  of  a  competency  fer  beyond  what  Mr.  EUet 
would  allot  to  it,  and  comes  very  Apropos  to  the  overthrow  of  his  kind  pre- 
diction of  its  early  fate. 
Thus  the  records  show  that  from  its  opening  at  the  end  of  1838,      *  '  ' ' 

to  the  end  of  1843,  there  has  passed  already  oret  it  a  nett  ton- 
'     nageof  600,000 

Besides  which  there  has  passed,  in  descending  and  ascending'oars, 

and  in  locomotive  weight,  a  further  tonnage  in  these  five  years, 

of  at  least  500,000 

■  Total,  1,000,000 

'  making  a  gross  tonnage  of  at  least  one  million  which  has  rolled  over  this 

Reading  road  in  the  past  five  years,  thus  afi!brding  in  itself  pro(tf  positive 


r  1  ,'£^-iJ 


.r 


^     -  ,  Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellet's  Fermuta. 

that  it  can  more  than  survive  one  year's  business  of  the  Schuylkill  canal,- 
its  rail  being  still  as  good  as  new. 

As  to  the  second  assertion,  it  is  only  of  use,  after  this,  to  notice  it  with  the 
view  of  holding  up  the  enormities,  of  which  Mr.  Ellet  is  capable,  towards 
a  railway.  Thus  at  75  cents  per  ton  on  800,000  tons,  the  wear  would  W 
equal  to  $600,000,  and  at  $55  per  ton  to  near  11,00Q  tons  of  iron  consumed 
per  annum ;  while  the  lohole  track  does  not  contain  much  over  7,600  tons.  . 
At  this  rate  it  would  not  be  possible  to  supply  a  new  track  as  fast  as  the  old 
Avas  destroyed,  not  even  were  saw  and  roLLing  mills  to  be  provided  alternately 
with  the  water  stations  on  its  whole  line.  But  with  the  help  of  my  present 
expose,  I  may  fairly  trust  it  to  the  common  sense  of  the  reader  to  see  t^^t 
no  such  condition  of  things  could  ever  happen.  I 

Let  me,  however,  look  a  little  more  particularly  into  this  matter  of  the 
wear  of  the  rail,  and  by  reverting  to  the  data  given  by  Mr.  Vig^oles,  assist 
the  reader  to  understand  it.  The  Stockton  and  Darlington  does  a  large 
coal  business  of  700,000  to  800,000  tons  per  annum,  besides  10  to  12  pas- 
senger trains  daily,,  and  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  does  also  an  immense 
business.  The  wear  on  both  these  roads  is  stated  by  him  to  be  about  one- 
tenth  of  a  pound  per  yard  per  annum ;  each  yard  weighing  say  60  pounds ; 
the  wear  would  then  eunount  on  a  double  track  of  4  rails  to  four-tenths  of  a 
pound  per  yard,  equal  to  704  pounds  of  iron  per  mile,  or  for  94  miles  66,176  • 
pounds  ;  say  30  tons  annually,  and  at  $55  per  ton,  makes  only  $1,650  per 
annum,  for  the  cost,  on  this  data,  from  mere  abrasion  of  rails.  There  will 
always  be  defective  rails  on  a  long  line  of  railway,  which  will  display  them- 
selves at  intervals '  for  several  years,  by  exfoliation,  until  they  are  all 
expelled,  and  which  may  be  estimated  as  about  equal  in  cost  to  the  abra- 
sion. The  road  once  freed  from  these  imperfect  rails,  but  little  trouble  is 
afterwards  experienced ;  and  the  whole  expense  for  renewals,  less  .value  of 
the  crushed  material,  worth  say  two-thirds  of  the  new  will  not  then  much 
exceed,  say  $30  to  $35  per  mile  of  road  per  annum ;  which  will  cover  a 
,very  long  period  before  the  whole  first  cost  of  the  iron  is  thus  expended ;  and 
in  the  -mean  time  this  will  no  doubt  be  rendered  the  easier  by  the  rails  be- 
ing, ere  long,  produced  in  the  Schuylkill  valley,  on  the  very  line  of  the  road 
itself,  the  expense  being  then  only  the  cost  of  re-rolling  the  rail  and  a  small 
loss  of  weight — making  it  at  least  as  cheap  as  they  have  ever  been  imported 
free  of  duty. 

The  fragility  of  the  rail,  therfore,  is  but  a  poor  dependance  on  which  to 
rely  for  getting  rid  of  the  competition  of  a  railway,  and  so  far  from  this  be- 
ing likely  to  be  diminished  hereafter,  in  the  case  of  the  Reading  railway,  its 
proprietors  have  lately  determined  on  completiag  forthwith  the  double  track 
with  a  60  pound  rail,  and  otherwise  in  wharves  and  additional  cars,  increas- 
ing its  facilities  for  accommodating  the  coal  business  in  particular,  for  which 
it  was  mainly  constructed.  The  canal  proprietors  on  the  Schuylkill  and 
the  Lehigh  are  also  said  to  be  preparing  themselves  for  the  most  determined 
resistance,  so  that  coal,  already  reduced  by  this  contest  from  six  to  three  clol- 


~«^.--^.'.rtL-l 


'      Remarks  on  Mr.  Ellei^s  Forrnidai^      .■  >  -     4Br 

lars  per  ton,  is  not  likely  to  rise  soon,  if  it  do  not  fall  to  a  still  lower  mark. 
The  dividends  of  the  railway  may  in  consequence  be  somewhat  impaired 
for  the  moment,  by  this  and  other  competition,  but  it  will  always  be  there  as 
the  main  regulator  of  the  coal  trade,  and  until  this  is  acknowledged^!  no  per- 
manent and  just  standard  of  charge,  either  by  railway  or  canal,  can  be  ar- 
rived at,  by  which  all  may  at  least,  more  or  less,  live  and  prosper.  This  is 
irrisistible  so  long  as  in  the  plan  of  the  present  lateral  car  and  boat  re- 
.  quired  on  the  canal,  the  railway  supplies  a  car  as  a  substitute  for  the  two 
'  first,  and  carries  the  same  to  a  cheaper  and  more  convenient  point  of  delivery 

>'■      V  than  is  done  by  the  boat.     The  continuance  of  low  prices  for  coal  in  the 
./    ;     next  five  years,  must  have  the  good  efl!ect  of  at  least  doubling  the  present 

'%:':  '•■■.  annual  consumption,  estimated  to  be  1,200,000  tons  of  anthracite  alone. 

From  some  cause,  Mr.  Ellet  would  seem  to  have  bound  himself  to^/brce  a 

•'>■'■   ;,  -conclusion  that  railways  are  yet  of  very,  limited  .capacity,  and  particularly 

J:j^        unfit  for  the  profitable  carriage  oi  heavy  freight,  as  well  because  they  would 

.'■ .  «oon  break  down  under  it,  as  that  they  cannot  afford  to  carry  it  as  cheaply 
as  its  small  value  generally  requires,  which  faculty,  he  would  persuade  us, 
€md  for  hardly  a  better  reason,  however,  than  old  custom,  belongs  only  to  csmals,; 
and  with  a  Chinese  reverence  in  this  respect,  opposes  through  thick  and 
thin  all  innovation  upon  it  There  was  a  time  when  this  position  had  some 
slight  color  of  support,  but  the  ruthless  progress  of  the  age  has  overturned 
it,  and  now  in  the  generality  of  cases,  in  this  country  particularly,  it  may  be 
safely  assumed  that  hereafter  the  railway  will  have  the  preference  over  the 
canal,  even  though  its  main  object  be  that  of  heavy  freight,  in  the  sound  of 

'■■■/,    .- •  which,  as  before  explained,  there  is  far  more  terror  than  ifl  its  carriage,    in.' 
the  instance  of  the  Reading  railway,  now  so  noxious  in  certain  quarters, 

>  there  is  a  peculiar  adaptedness  to  this  heavy  business,  there  being  here  a 

imioH  of  steam  power  and  gravity,  with  an  unbroken  connection  in  its  ter 
minations  for  the  coal  business,  and  what  must  give  it  an  easy  triumph  over 

-  >  its  rivals,  the  canals,  in  so  far  as  becoming  ultimately  the  great  eegdlatok 
of  this  trade. 

If  I  have  now  raiLzd.  too  long  at  Mr.  EUet,  I  must  plead  in  excuse  the 
nature  of  the  subject,  and  the  very  great  importance  of  having  it  rightly  un- 
derstood by  the  public.  Even  in  the  great  State  of  New  York,  against  the 
experience  around  about  them,  this  exploded  doctrine  of  the  cheaper  charac- 
ter of  canals  is  maintained — or  pretended  to  be  so — taking  care,  however, 

'.  to  fetter  the  railways  which  run  parallel  to  their  great  Erie  canal ;  this  was 

'■■  '^  a  great  project  in  its  day,  but  its  enlargement  afterwards  could  only  be  ef- 
fected by  a  constant  and  diligent  circulation  of  the  same  erroneous  views  in 

:  respect  to  railways,  which  at  this  late  day  I  find  Mr,  Ellet  so  zealous  to  keep 

■■:■'.  alive.  Ten  millions  have  already  been  wasted  in  this  enlargement,  and  fif- 
teen millions  of  dollars  more  would  be  required  to  complete  it,  for  which 

^'■f.:  there  are  yet  advocates,  while  two-thirds  of  this  last  sura  would  suffice  not 
only  to  prepare  the  line  of  railways  between  Buffalo  and  Albany  to  do  the 
whole  business  of  the  canal,  but  would  suffice  to  carry  the  line  down  to 


/ ,. 


Notes  on  Practieat  Sngineering. 


Goshen,  and  from  thence,  by  railways  already  made,  connect  Bufialo  and 
New  York.  The  opponents  of  a  railway  to  Albany  always  refer  to  the 
competition  of  the  steamboats  on  the  Hudson,  as  insurmountable.  Now  by 
steamboat  the  through  traveller  can  only  be  delivered  either  way  between 
Albany  and  New  York  at  a  loss  of  the  whole  day  and  part  of  the  next,  be- 
sides the  expenses  of  laying  over,  which  may  all  be  estimated  at  $1  50  to 
each  ordinary  traveller,  and  more  to  a  business  one  ;  therefore,  if  the  steam- 
boat carried  for  nothing,  this  extra  expense  must  be  entailed,  and  would 
amply  pay  the  railway  in  summer,  and  in  winter  it  could  have  no  opposition, 
being  always  able  to  make  the  trip  between  these  great  central  business 
points  in  five  or  six  hours.  On  the  Erie  canal  there  is  now  annually  taken 
in  tolls  two — in  freight  two  and  a  half — and  in  passage  money  one  million 
of  dolkucs,  or  in  all  about  Jive  aird  a  half  millions  of  dollars,  between  Buf- 
falo and  Albany,  a  distance  of  363  miles.  Now  wereihe  railways  on  this 
line  allowed  so  to  adjust  themselves,  as  to  do  this  large  business,  I  believe 
they  could  do  it  aU^  at  a  good  profit,  for  three  millions  of  dollars,  or  efiect- 
ing  a  saving  of  the  present  entire  freightj  of  two  aitd  a  AaZ/ millions  of  dol» 
lars,  with  greater  accommodation  to  the  immense  business  on  the  line  oi  the 
canal  and  railroads  themselves,  by  not  restricting  it  to  a  part  of  the  year 
only.  Any  reform  of  this  sort,  may  do  to  speculate  upon^  with  little  hope 
now  of  its  being  ever  effected,  the  contrary  interests  having  too  strong  a 
hold,  besides  an  impenetrable  ignorance  of  the  comparative  merits  of  these 
improvements  generally,  which  cannot  be  suddenly  dispelled.  Both  these 
obstacles,  in  the  community  which  it  most  benefits,  have  done  their  worst  to 
fru^rate  the  Reading  railway,  but  it  has  now  attaii>ed  a  safe  position,  and  at 
an  outlay  of  say  eight  millions  of  dollars,  will,  in  its  way,  represent  the 
most  formidable  engine  of  transportation  in  the  world.  A  vast  dependant 
population,  cm  the  anthracite  coal  fields  of  Pennsylvania,  should  be  ever  grate- 
fid  to  it,  for  having  freed  them  entirely  from  the  monopolizing  gripe  of  the 
canals,  and  wiUi  the  all  pervading  economy  of  which  the  railway  system  is 
the  source,  to  the  poor  man  in  particular,  we  should  all  be  eager  to  lend  it- 
a  pushing  hand;  rather  than,  imitate  Mr.  Ellet  in  underrating  its  capacity 
anid  its  usefulness.  '  ;jy.s^te^7-rr?;PiV:  F.    a^ 

'■ ■ —  :^^AMi:  ■ 

Cor  th»  Americas  Railroad  Journal  and  Meohanics'  Magazine.  .-'■<:; 

NOTES   ON    PRACTICAL    ENGINEERING.: — NO.    S.'.,;;  \ 

"    •  -.  .        .<r  .    .'  Bridges. 

The  suspension  bridge  of  wire  across  the  Schaylkil!^  at  Philadelphia, 
IVir.  C.  Ellet,  Jr.,  engineer,  offers  an.  admirable  illustration  of  a  position  as- 
sumed in  the  last  number :  that  the  employment  of  engineers  of  education 
and  experience  to  project  a  structure  suitable-  to  the  locality^  and  adapted  to 
its  objects,  would  be  attended  with  vast  benefit  to  all  interested ;  the  commu- 
nity as  well  as  the  proprietors.  The  patentee  of  some  particular  mode  of 
construction  recommends  his  plan  in  all  situations,  and,  to  take  the  most  fa- 
vorable view  of  the  case,  let  us  suppose  a  bridge  on  Howe's  plan,  the  beat 


Notes  on  Practical  Enigineering.  '■  ' '""Wf 

patented  American  bridge,  to  occupy  the  place  of  the  suspensron  bridge  at 
Fairmount.  It  is  unnecessary  to  draw  any  comparisons — ^the  statement  of 
the  case  is  more  than  sufficient 

The  cost  of  the  wire  bridge  is  said  to  have  been  under  $60,000 :  less  than 
half  the  cost  of  the  wooden  bridge,  which  was  burnt  down  ;  but,  never  hav- 
ing seen  any  other  than  newspaper  reports,  I  am  unable  to  offer  any  re- 
marks on  the  subject,  beyond  stating  that  a  saving  in  first  cost  and  subsequent 
annual  expenses  will  generally  result  from  the  employment  of  competent 
men.  Besides  this,  I  hold  that  neatness  of  appearance,  and  some  little  de- 
gree of  harmony  with  surrounding  objects,  should  not  be  neglected:  indeed,^ 
1  believe  that  these  will — in  the  generality  of  cases — follow,  to  some  extent, 
a  judiciously  projected  bridge,  without  in  any  way  increasing  the  cost. 

Every  traveller  must  have  noticed  the  deplorable  structures  on  which  he 
often  enters  a  beautiful  village,  and  which,  not  unfrequently,  disfigures  its 
most  populous  thoroughfares.  Here  is  an  immense  amount  of  employment 
which  the  profession  should  secure  to  itself  and  which  in  other  countries  forms 
no  small  part  of  the  business  of  the  engineer.  In  this  country,  however, 
where  bridges  are  more  required  than  in  any*  other,  and  where  limited  means 
strongly  indicate  the  propriety  of  ascertaining  the  capability  and  cost  of 
different  plans,  all  is  left  to  chance,  and  in  place  of  adorning,  the  bridge  is 
only  too  often  the  only  drawback  on  the  scene.  For  example,  the  lattice 
bridge  across  the  Hudson,  at  the  city  of  Troy,  is  in  many  positions  of  the 
spectator  a  complete  "  blur,"  in  a  view  otherwise  rather  interesting.  Nu- 
merous instances  will  suggest  themselves  to  the  reader,  and  I  will  only  ob- 
serve, that  any  engineer  who  will  take  the  -trouble  to  study  any  particular 
site  for  a  bridge — ^be  the  span  only  40  or  50  feet — will  almost  invariably 
Strike  out  some  particular  plan,  which,  in  his  opinion,  is  superior  to  all  ther 
others  he  has  considered ;  taking  into  consideration  the  nature  of  the  traffic, 
the  amount  appropriated,  the  quality  of  the  tiniber  and  stone  and  the  sur- 
rounding scenery.  Without  exactly  regarding  this  as  the  best  possible  plan, 
it  will,  in  nine  cases  out  often,  be  superior  to  the  off-hand  suggestions  of  an 
engineer  of  fiir  greater  pretensions. 

The  nimierous  bridges  on  the  enlarged  portion  Of  the 'Erie  canal  offered 
numerous  opportunities  for  improvement  in  these  structures,  and  the  experi- 
ence acquired  on  that  work  had  abundantly  demonstrated  the  want  of  more 
efficient  and  lasting  bridges.  It  is  impossibleto  conceive  anytkmg  more  in- 
congruous than  the  new  bridges  generally.  The  abutments  are  beautifully  . 
constructed  of  cut  Jime^tone,  and  are  surmounted  by  a  lattice'bridge  boarded 
and  shingled.  The  abutments  are  not  only  permanent  but  costly,  convey- 
ing no  idea  of  limited  means  or  even  economy  ;  the  bridge  itself  is  unsight- 
ly, perishable  and  combustible,  and  together  they  form  a  capital  specimen 
of  the  "  shabby-genteel"  in  engineering.  Taking  the  cost  of  abutments  and 
superstructure  together,  we  should  have  had  a  sum  sufficient  to  have  adorned 
the  route  of  the  canal  with  a  great  variety  of  bridges,  superior  to  the  present 
structures  in  durabili^,  economy  of  repairs  and  appearance,  if  in  the  hands 


it 


Noies  on  Practical  Engineering. 


of  competent  persons  ;  the  Schuylkill  bridge,  already  referred  to,  will  suP 
ficiently  explain  my  meaning.  With  the  exception  of  the  bridge  at  Utica,  de- 
signed by  Mr.  Whipple,  engineer,  I  do  not  know  of  any  attempt  to  inttoduce 
a  bridge  substantially  new  or  differing  from  those  in  ordinary  use. 

Mr.  Wipple's  bridge  consists  of  a  flat  cast  iron  polygonal  arch,  from  which 
the  roadway  is  suspended  by  vertical  wrought  iron  rods,  stiffened  vertically 
hy  similar  rods  crossing  each  other  and  acting  as  struts  as  well  as  ties  from 
their  shortness.  The  strings  or  tie-beams  are  replaced  by  iron  rods,  so  that 
the  floor  beams  and  the  plank  are  the  only  perishable  parts.  The  details 
are  very  neatly  arranged,  the  bridge  is  remarkably  stiff  and  <  may  be  easily 
rendered,  practically  speaking,  fire-proof  Still  the  effect  is  not  what  it  might 
he.  A  circular  or  elliptical  arch  would  have  looked  better,  and  being  of 
cast  iron,  a  reasonable  degree  of  ornament  would  not  have  added  to  the  cost. 
But  this  might  have  prevented  its  adoption  "  in  toto"  by  the  canal  commis- 
sionftrs,  who,  reckless  of  expenditure,  have  a  most  democratic  dread  of  any 
design  which  can,  from  any  cause — even  simple  beauty  of  proportion — give 
pleasure  to,  or  elevate  the  feelings  of)  the  beholder.  This  principle  has 
been  carried  out  to  some  extent  on  the  Croton  water-works.  For  example, 
the  great  arch  at  Sing  Sing,  built  of  granite  in  the  best  manner  and  at  great 
cost,  shows  hoAv  much  may  be  done  towards  reducing  the  architectural  effect 
of  a  struct^are  where  the  magnitude  of  the  span,  the  nature  of  the  material  and 
the  surrounding  scenery  conspire  to  produce  a  work  which  should  do  honor 
to  the  nation  and  to  the  profession,  a  praise  which  all  must  accord  to  the 
"  distributing  reservoir,"  though  built  mainly  of  rubble  masonry,  and  of  the 
simplest  form. 

The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  English  bridges  is  that  the  timbers 
are  all,  or  nearly  all,  subjected  to  compression ;  American  bridges  depend- 
ing generally  on  a  string  or  tie-beam.  Now,  where  it  is  difficult  to  keep-, 
the  grade  high  enough  to  clear  floods,  the  English  plan  of  placing  arches 
beneath  the  roadway  becomes  impracticable,  though  I  still  think  that  there 
is  vast  room  for  improvement  here,  not  excepting  Mr.  Howe's  very  cre<jyitar 
ble  arrangement  of  braces,  iron  rods  and  abutting  blocks.  - 

It  is  common  in  Europe  to  pave  wooden  bridges,  and  I  believe  the  bridge- 
in  the  city  of  Providence  was  paved,  and  found  to  answer  well.  Where  the 
traffic  is  great,  the  plank  wear  out  fast^and  a  thin  coating  of  loose  gravel  is- 
very  injurious,  by  admitting  moisture  and  heat  to  the  plank  and  preventing 
evaporation.  If  the  plank  be  covered,  the  materials-  should  be  put  on  in  suf- 
ficient quantity  to  prevent  the  percolation  of  the  water.  On  railway  brieves- 
where  the  roadway  is  not  subjected  to  the  action  of  wheels  and  horses'  hoofs^ 
a  thick  coating  of  gravel  and  tar  does  very  well.  Whei^  the  frame  work 
of  a  bridge  is  not  covered  in,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  put  on  two  or  three  coats 
of  paint  and  sand  which  serves  as  a  protection  in  some  degree  against  fire 
as  well  as  against  the  weather.  I  look  forward  with  much  interest  to  the 
results  of  Kyan's,  Earle's  and  Payne's  process  for  preserving  timber,  and  it 


Notes  on  Practical  Engineering:  '  lH^ 

eertainly  appears  that  sufficient  time  has  elapsed  to  test  their  value  in  some  de- 
gree. The  bridge  represented  in  the  wood 
cut  wa»  designed  in  the  autumn  of  1841, 
and  built  during  the  following  winter,  to 
replace  a  lattice  bridge  destroyed  by  fire. 
The  span  is  70  feet,  the  rise  15  feet,  out- 
side width  20  feet.  There  are  4  arches 
12  by  20  inches,  formed  of  10  two  inch 
planks,  planed,  covered  with^egetable  tar, 
and  bolted  together  with  2  three-fourths 
inch  bolts  every  4  feet  The  vertical  rods 
are  of  one  and  one-fourth  inch  kon,  and 
the  arches  and  floor  are  braced  horizon- 
tally in  the  usual  manner.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  floor  timbers  is  not  good,  but 
I  was  compelled  to  suit  the  design  to  cer- 
tain dimensions  of  material  on  hand.  -^ 
For  engines,  exceeding  7  to  6  tones  in 
weight,  the  arches  should  be  24  inches 
deep,  and  with  the  most  suitable  dimen- 
sions of  longitudinal  and  floer  timbers,  3 
arches  would  be  sufBoient  for  10  or  12 
ton  engines.  It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance 
that  the  gre.at  difficulty  is  to  give  suffi- 
cient slifTness  in  the  centre.  The  object 
was  to  guard  against  fire,  and  the  arch- 
es and  strings  were  to  have  been  covered 
with  sheet  iron.  They  were,  however, 
protected  by  three  coats  of  paint  and  sand, 
and  with  the  heavy  covering  of  clay  and 
gravel  on  the  floor,  the  bridge  is  tolerably 
safe  from  the  incendiary — a  more  formidable,  and  perhaps  more  frequent 
enemy  than  the  sparks  from  the  engine.  ,-    ..  y  ,  ■-•  (,  »?*•» 

Arches  built  0  this  manner  have  a  strong  tendency  to  retain  their  form. 
During  the  erection  of  the  above  bridge  a  sudden  risfe  in  the  river  disturbed 
the  centering  and  forced  the  arches  back  at  the  springing,  increasing  the 
span  as  it  were,  but  on  restoring  the  centering  to  its  position  the  arches 
sprung  back  to  their  original  form  with  great  violence.  Though  built  in 
the  plainest  manner  and  of  trifling  span,  the  efiect  is  greater  than  can  well 
be  believed  without-inspection.  The  use  of  plank  arches  is  of  old  date  in 
this  country  for  susp^iding  the  road  way,  and  there  are  fine  specimens  of 
large  urches  of  plank  under  the  roadway  in  Weale's  bridges.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  spandrels  is  however.  diff*erent,  and  I  believe  the  arches  described 
above  were  put  together  in  a  more  substantial  manner ;  no  wooden  pins 
were  used,  the  plank  were  only  ten  inches  thick  and  well  planed  and  firmly 
bolted  together  without  feh.  -'I'^S'^  ^ 


■  ',^'S 


'Hi:^CK^'.-iiii:J't  vf;^ 


46  ;     Failure  of  Railways. — Editorial 

This  bridge  has  little  or  no  thrust,  is  far  superior  in  appearance  to  any 
wooden  bridge  I  have  seen,  admits  of  considerable  ornament  and  is  well 
adapted  to  sites,  where  civilization  has  had  sufficient  time  to  produce  its  le- 
gitimate effects  on  the  taste  and  feelings  of  the  community. 

New  York,  Janttary,  1844.  W.  R.  C 


For  the  Ajnerican  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanic*'  Magazine. 

FAILURE   OF   RAILWAYS. 

When  M#  Ellet  first  advanced  his  unheard  of  doctrine,  proposing  to 
make  the  cost  of  railroads  and  their  fixtures,  with  an  eye  to  the  business 
which  they  were  likely  to  obtain — ^urging  the  propriety  of  making  little 
roads  for  little  business,  and  large  and  strong  roads  for  a  heavy  trade — a  very 
learned  critic  assailed  the  monstrous  idea  in  your  Journal  of  January  1st, 
1842.     From  this  valuable  paper  I  copy  the  following,  paragraph*: 

"  Still  another  conparigon  may  be  made  between  the  Schuylki%canal,  which  costs  $S8,- 
000  per  mile  without  boats,  and  the  Philadelphia  and  Pottsville  ndlway,  which  costs  $50,- 
000  per  mile,  including  cars  and  motive  power.  Is  it  not  this  additional  cost  which  makes 
it  the  superior  and  cheaper  work  of  the  Xv/o  V 

It  will  doubtless  be  gratifying  to  your  correspondent,  to  learn  that  this 
great  railway  has  augmented  its  superiority,  since  that  period,  to  the  amount 
of  $26,000  per  mile.  The  present  cost  of  the  railway  appears,  by  the  com- 
pany's last  report,  to  be  no  less  than  $7,119,295  51,  or,  in  round  numbers, 
$T6,000  per  mile.  -    1;    - 

Its  great  merit  was  its  great  cost  It  has  increased  this  merit  in  the  brief 
space  of  two  years  fifty  per  cent.  r 

The  road  is  not  yet  finished,  but  the  company  have  just  obtained  a  loan 
of  $1,000,000,  with  which  they  hope  to  complete  it.  This  sum,  added  to 
the  interest  now  unpaid,  and  the  airrent  year's  interest,  will  add  $1,500,000 
to  the  present  cost  of  the  work,  or,  in  round  numbers  ag^in,  $16,000  per 
mile.  This  is  equivalent  to  an  additional  increase  in  the  merit  of  the  road, 
for  the  present  year,  of  33  per  cent.  Its  merit,  accordingly,  at  the  end  of 
this  year,  will  be  simply  that  of  having  cost  $92,000  per  mile. 

Verily,  Mr.  Ellet  was  "behind  the  age,"  to  use  the  lang^ge  of  your  tor- 
respondent,  and  the  Reading  railroad  company  are  fast  colung  up  with  the 
age  Y. 


We  commence  the  publication,  in  this  number  of  the  Journal,  of  a  very 
extensive  series  of  tables  for  calculating  quantities  of  excavation  and  em- 
bankment These  tables  will  be  completed  in  the  next  number,  and  will  be 
followed  by  a  general  description  of  the  mode  of  calculating  them  as  well 
as  a  rigorous  investigation  of  the  principles  on  which  they  are  founded. 
They  are  prepared  for  different  slopes  and  bases.  The  transverse  and  lon- 
gitudinal inclinations  of  the  ground  are  also  allowed  for  *" 

When  completed,  we  shall,  if  sufficient  inducement  o^r,  publish  them 
in  pamphlet  form,  for  the  convenience  of  those  who  may  desire  to  have  them 


V.  •■ 


) 


Report  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Company.         *       ^ 

,  aeparatelyy  and  we  believe  that  they  will  form  a  valuable  present  to  the  mem' 
bers  of  the  profession,  who  will  also  duly  estimate  the  skill  and  industry  of 
the  gentleman  by  whom  they  have  been  calbnlated  and  arranged.  As  it  is 
OUT  intention  to  make  the  Journal  as  useful  as  possible  to  the  engineer,  we 
cheerfully  contribute  the  additional  labor  and  expenditure  incurred  on  our 
jMirt,  in  brmging forward  these  elaborate  tables.  .  f  -  .'  '-  ■    -J  :f'^?!4r;:^f-V 

We  cheerfully  give  place  to  the  report  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Company,  exhibit- 

'  ing  the  result  of  their  operations  for  the  past  year.  This  company  has  been  many  years 
in  very  successful  operation,  and  its  stock  was  at  one  time  esteemed  the  most  productive  in 
the  country,  having  paid,  we  believe,  for  several  years  about  20  per  cent,  per  annum ;  of 
this,  however,  we  a^e  not  sure,  as  this  is  the  first  of  tiieir  reports  which  has  cmne  under 
euf  observation.  From  this  report  it  appears  that  the  company  are  enlar^ng  the  capacity 
of  the  canal,  to  enable  them  to  reduce  their  tolls  still  more,  and  thus  retain  the  coal  trade, 
for  which,  the  Reading  railroad  has  become  a  competitor.  Competition  in  business,  whiie 
it  oflen  produces  general  good  by  the  reduction  of  expenses  common  to  aU,  the  poor  as  well 
as  the  rich,  not  un&equently  operates  disadvantageously  to  individuals ;  and  such  has  pro- 
bably been  the  case  in  this  instance,  as  the  stockholders  in  this  canal  company  now  receive 
only  six  per  cent,  on  their  investment  instead  of  15  or  20  as  formerly :  but  the  competition 
of  the  railroad  has  reduced  the  cost  of  transportation  of  coal  from  Pottsvillc  to  Philadelphia 
full  one  dollar  per  ton,  thus  effecting  an  annual  saving  to  the  consumers  of  coal  in  this 
country,  of  at  least  one  and  a-half  millions  of  dollars  a  year.  It  does  not,  however,  fol- 
low, that  the  canal  is  to  lose  its  business  because  the  railroad  obtains  a  portion  of  the  cool 

-  trade — far  otherwise — as  their  competition  alone,  if  no  other  cause  operated,  would  produce 
a  large  increase  in  the  consumption.     In  1834  there  was  226,692  tons  of  coal  shipped  from 

•  Pottsville ;  the  past  year,  1843,  it  has  exceeded  680i000  tons,  or  trebled  in  nine  yean.  Of 
course  there  will  be  a  continued  increase  in  the  business,  which  will  require  both  works  to 
extend  their  means  for  accommodating  it ;  and  our  greatest  apprehenaon  is,  that  they  will 
not  be  able,  at  present  rates  of  transportation,  to  keep  up  the  competition  and  give  the 
shareholders  a  &ir  return  for  their  investment ;  and  would  say  to  the  managers  of  both 
companies,  come  to  a  fair  price,  say  $1-40  or  $1*50  per  ttm,  and  then  let  your  rivalry  be 

.   which  shall  get  most  business  at  that. 

;   REPORT   OF  THE   SCHUYLKUX    NAVIGATION    COMPANY    TO  THE    STOCKHOLDERS. 

The  president  and  managers  of  the  Schuylkill  navigation  company,  re- 
spectfully submit  to  the  stockholders  their  annual  report  for  the  year  1843, 
which  has  just  ended. 
'  The  unusual  lateness  of  the  spring  prevented  the  opening  of  the  naviga- 
tion until  the  10th  of  April ;  after  which  it  continued  uninterrupted  and  m 
excellent  order  until  closed,  in  December,  for  the  winter.  The  supply  of 
water  has  been  good,  rendering  unnecessary  a  resort  to  the  ample  stores  con- 
tained in  the  reserveirsi  ) 

I.— OF   THE    STATE   OF   THE   WORKS. 

The  works  generally  are  in  good  order ;  and  the  repairs  required  this 
winter  are  not  heavy.  Throughout  the  line  of  108  miles,  from  Port  Car- 
bon to  Philadelphia,  the  works  are  much  more  substantial  than  formerly, 
having  been  gr^tly  improved  and  strengthened  within  the  last  few  years, 
while  the  canal  banks  have  attained  great  solidity  by  time.  The  wooden 
portions  of  the  mechanical  structures  are  the  principar  causes  of  expense  for 
repairs. 

The  new  dam  recently  erected  at  Fairmount,  under  the  authority  and  at 
the  expense  of  the  city  corporation,  to  replace  the  old  one,  which  had  stood 
twenty-two  years,  and  had  become  very  leaky,  is  an  excellent  piece  of  worl^ 


.1 

♦  • 


48 


Report  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Company. ' 


and  relieves  the  company's  navigation,  for  more  than  five  miles,  from  the 
injury  caused  by  the  defective  and  sunken  condition  of  the  old  dam. 

That  pool  has  been  the  most  defective  part  of  the  line,  and  has  been  the 
cause  of  more  trouble  and  expense  to  the  boatmen  than  any  other.  As  the 
water  could  not  be  drawn  dowh  to  deepen  the  channel,  the  construction  of 
coffer  dams  has  been  required ;  and  in  former  years  several  portions  of  the 
pool  have  been  thus  improved,  so  as  to  give  a  depth  of  five  and  a-half  feet^ 
when  the  river  is  at  its  ordinary  stage.  During  the  past  season,  shallow 
places,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  the  length  of  2,288  feet,  have  been 
thus  deepened  ;  and  it  is  believed  that  the  boatmen  will  hereafter  be  able  to 
pass  through  this  pool  with  the  same  facility  as  the  re^  of  the  line. 

Most  of  the  dams  on  the  lower  part  of  the  Schuylkill,  where  the  river  is 
large,  have  been  rebuilt  by  the  compainy  within  a  few  3«Bars,  in  the  most 
substantial  manner,  and  so  as  to  give  an  increased  depth  of  water.  During 
the  past  season  it  has  been  the  policy  of  the  managers  to  maintain  the  works 
in  the  most  efficient  state,  at  as  small  an  expense  as  the  length  and  importance 
of  the  line,  and  the  large  amount  of  mechanical  work  upon  it  would  permit ; 
and  they  think  that  they  have  succeeded  to  a  gratifying  extent — as  the  great 
reduction,  amounting  tq  $31,064  33,  in  the  annual  current  expenses  for  re- 
pairs, salaries,  and  lock-tenders'  wages  will  indicate  ;  which  has  been  ef- 
fected without  impairing  the  efficiency  of  the  police  of  the  line,  or  the  means 
for  the  rapid  passage  of  the  boats. 

The  new  outlet  lock  at  the  cross-cut,  fourteen  miles  from  the  head  of  the 
works,  has  been  completed  this  season.  The  foundation  was  laid,  and  the 
cut  stone  walls  carried  above  the  level  of  the  pool  in  1841,  when  its  com- 
pletion was  postponed.  This  is  now  accomplished  in  the  best  manner,  over- 
coming a  lift  of  twelve  feet  two  inches,  which  formerly  required  two  locks. 

II. OF  THE   TRADE   OF   THE    PAST    SEASON. 

The  toll  on  coal  has  been  retained  at  the  rate  of  five  mills,  or  half  a  cent, 
per  ton  per  mile,  at  which  it  was  fixed  in  1842 ;  and  the  tolls  on  most  other 
articles  at  the  former  rates  of  three  and  four  mills  per  1,000  pounds  per  mile 
— although  some  have  been  transferred  from  the  higher  to  the  k)wer  class. 
The  highest  class  at  the  rate  of  six  mills,  which  contained  but  a  small  amount 
of  tonnage,  has  been  abolished,  and  the  articles  placed  in  the  other  classes, 
so  as  to  simplify  the  classification.  A  uniform  toll  of  two  cents  per  mile 
has  been  charged  on  all  empty  boats,  but  no  toll  on  any  boat  when  the  cargo 
which  it  carried  paid  a  toll  of  five  dollars  or  upwards. 

The  total  tonnage  of  articles  ascending  the  river,  exceeds  that  of  1842 
by  ten  per  cent.,  in  which  there  is  a  small  incr-ease  of  grain,  salt,  lumber 
and  iron. 

The  total  tonnage  of  miscellaneous  articles  descending  the  river,  exclud- 
ing coal,  lime  and  lime  stone,  exceeds  that  of  last  year  by  thirteen  per  cent, 
having  increased  from  46,392  to  52,425  tons.  Tfiis  increase  is  mainly  in 
grain,  flour,  iron  and  nails.  In  lime  and  lime  stone  descending,  there  has 
been  a  falling  off  of  15,328  tons,  which  is  owing  to  a  temporary  fluctuation 
in  the  general  amount  of  the  trade  in  those  articles. 

The  quantity  of  coal  brought  down  this  season  is  44T,058  tons — which 
is  nine  per  cent,  less  than  the  trade  of  last  year.  This  diminution  has  been 
caused  by  diverting  a  portion  of  the  Schuylkill  coal  trade  from  the  natural 
channel  of  the  navigation,  and  forcing  it  upon  the  Reading  railroad ;  which 
y^as  been  effected  to  some  extent  by  those  having  the  control  of  that  work, 
by  means  of  a  scale  of  prices  far  below  what  is  known  upon  any  other  rail- 
road, and  which  has  been  repeatedly  varied  and  reduced,  for  the  appareitf 
purpose  of  diverting  the  coal  trade  from  the  canal.****- ""'' 


Report  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Company.  ■  49 

•  •  Notwithstanding'  this  extraordinary  competition,  the  pecuniary  results  of 
"Ais  year's  business  have  been  highly  gratifying,  and  they  may  be  briefly 
stated  as  follows : 

Amount  of  tolls  received  in  1843,  S260,724  38 1  Current  expenses  for  repairs,  salaries 

Rents  "  19,070  25      and  lock  tenders' wages,  S71,856  67 

'       T»      •  .  "  M^,^^n.  „o  Expenses  completing  new  lock  at 

^«<^»F^S'  $279,794  631     cross-cut      ^       ^  5  093  06 

Deduct  expenses  and  interest,     ^77^57346  j^j^^gg^  ^^J^^y^t  lOO^GaS  73 

Surplus,  102,221  171  Expenses  and  interest,  177,573  46 

Leaving  a  surplus  of  §102,221  17  from  the  business  of  1843,  after  paying 
expenses  and  interest,  and  completing  the  new  lock  ;  yvhich  is  more  than  six 
per  cent,  upon  the  capital  stock  of  the  company. 

The  reduction  of  tolls  upon  the  Union  canal  has  increased  the  tonnage 
iderived  from  that  source.  .  J. 

The  income  received  from  rents  is  $19,070  26,  being  $2,070  25  more 
than  the  estimate  given  in  the  last  annual  report ;  and  the  company  possesses 
a  large  amount  of  valuable  water  power,  still  undisposed  of 

The  whole  number  of  Schuylkill  canal  boats  in  use  in  1843,  has  been 

about  800 — of  which  770  have  been  registered  as  passing  the  Fairmount 

'  locks.     Of  these,  278  are  covered  boats,  adapted  to  the  direct  trade  from 

Pottsville  to  New  York :  434  are  open  coal  boats,  and  58  lime  boats  and 

miscellaneous. 

The  direct  trade  to  New  York  amounts  this  year  to  119,^72  tons,  taken 
through  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  canal,  consisting  of  2,045  boat  loads^— 
averaging  58  tons  18  cwt.  each. 

III. OF   THE   FINANCES   OF   THE   COMPANY. 

The  present  amount  o^  the  loans  of  the  company  is  $1,791,020  19 ;  and 
the  annual  interest  accruing  upon  them,  $96,533  70.  Of  the '$300,000 
loan  of  1837,  $120,000  have  been  paid  off  in  the  past  year,  and  the  residue 
extended  until  the  first  of  January,  1854. 

It  has  been  the  fortune  of  this  great  work,  from  its  commencement  to  the 
present  time,  to  meet  occasionally  with  obstructions  and  difficulties,  calling 
for  patient  fortitude  on  the  part  of  the  stockholders. 

During  the  last  two  years,  the  state  of  the  trade,  the  general  prostration 
of  credit  and  confidepce,  together  with  an  extraordinary  competition,  occur- 
ring at  a  period  when  loans  were  falling  due,  which  under  ordinary  circum-    : 
stances  could  have  been  easily  renewed,  have  obliged  the  board  to  apply  the 
revenue  of  the  company,  diminished  by  the  reduction  of  the  toll,  to  the  pay- 
ment ef4ebt ;  and  thus  the  two  years  have  necessarily  passed  without  a  divi-    ■'' 
dend,  though  the  income  afforded  an  annual  surplus  of  more  than  six  per    ; 
cent.     There  could  be  no  hesitation  about  the  obligation  so  to  apply  the  re-    :, 
yeaue.     The  debt  due  was  a  demand  of  justice,  to  be  paid  to  the  utmost  ex- 
tent of  the  company's  means.     The  stockholders  have  borne  this  privation    ' 
with  their  usual  firmness  ;  and  the  profits  which  have  been  disbursed  ^y  the  \ 
company,  since  the-lst  of  January,  1841,  besides  paying  all  current  charges* 
and  mterest,  and  $105,089  71  for  new  work,  damages  and  real  estate,  have    ■ 
reduced  the  permanent  debt  of  the  company  $321,156  03,  and  the  annual 
interest  $17,262  30. 

Thus  in  1841,  the  permanent  debt  was  -  -  -  -  $2,112,176  23      ' 

New  it  is  only      .  .  ~         j.  .  .  .        1,791,020  19 

DifiFerence,       -  -  -  -  -  .  $321,156  (0 

In  Sept'r  and  Dec'r,  1841,  the  interest  payable  was  ^ual  to  vet  annum,         $113,796  00 

Now  it  is 96,533  70    '■ 

.    Difference,       -  -  -  .      .     .  -  ^    $17,262  30    ' 


:-^:i.lv^- 


4||>  Report  of  the  SohuyVnll  Navigation  Companf. 

Each  share  of  stock  has  therefore  been  relieved  from  a  debt  to  the  amoant 
of  $9  64,  and  is  intrinsically  worth  $9  64  more  than  it  would  have  been* 
if  such  payment  had  not  been  made ;  and  the  saving  in  the  aDDual  interest  is 
equal  to  more  than  one  per  cent,  per  annum  upon  the  whole  capital  stock. 

By  reducing,  at  the  same  time,  the  current  expenses,  these  two  items,,  (in- 
'  terest  and  expenses.)  formerly  amounting  to  $224,596  a  year,  are  now,  when 
the  accounts  are  similarly  stated,  but  $172,480. 

If  the  revenue  of  the  year  1844  should  be  equal  fo  that  of  1843,  and"  the 
same  system  be  pursued,  there  will  be  a  further  reduction  of  the  permanent  ,. 
debt,  so  that  the  capital  stock  and  debt  will  be  made  nearly  equal,  and  wilt  ^ 
amount  together  to  about  $3,350,000,  and  the  annual  interest  will  b^  furthec 
reduced.     Whether  or  not  this  course  will  be  the  most  expedient,  must  de«   ' 
pend  upon  future  circumstances.     If  it  should  not,  still  there  will  be  an  an- 
nual appropriation  to  a  sinking  fund,  for  the  payment  of  the  debt,  sufficieni 
to  extiaguish  the  whole  of  it  in  a  reasonable  time — an  end 'which  ought 
steadily  to  be  kept  in  view. 

A  loan  of  $153,887  19,  at  six  per  cent,  will  become  due  on  the  1st  day. 

of  December^  1844 ;  and  a  loan  of  $141,100,  at  five  per  cent.,  on  the  1st  of 

January,  1845 ;  and  an  ordinance  has  been  prepared,  and  will  be  submitted 

.  to  the  stockholders,  to  give  to  the  beard  of  managers  the  necessary  power 

to  provide  for  these  loans.  r,  % 

IV. OF   THE   CAPACITY   OF   THE   NAVIGATION. 

The  total  tonnage  transported  upon  the  Schuylkill  navigation  sittce  it  was 
first  opened  for  public  use,  is  nearly  equal  to  eight  millions  of  tons ;  and  the 
line  has  been  in  better  working  order  during  the  past  season  than  ever  be- 
fore. ,  The  waters  of  the  river,  which  nature  constantly  renews,  do  not 
perish  in  the  using,  like  artificial  roads. 

In  the  year  1841,  in  29  weeks,  the  canal  carried  737,517  tons,  which  fo* 
the  usual  season  of  35  weeks,  would  be  equal  to  890,106  tons.  And  this  is- 
fax  below  the  capacity  of  the  existing  mivigation,.  the  present  practical  limit 
of  which  may  be  estimated  at  about  a  million  and  a  half  of  tons  descending 
and  which  may  easily  be  much  increased. 

The  work  is  a  public  highway ;  the  boats  upon  it  belong  to  individuals ;. 
and  any  one,  on  paying  very  moderate  tolls,  and  conforming  to  a  few  simple 
regulations,  is  entitled  to  use  it,  alt  times,  and  in  such  way  as  may  best  suil-i 
his  convenience.     This  has  made  it  of  great  importance  to  the  counties  ". 
,,  through  which  it  passes,  and  to  the  people  who  live  along  its  borders,  who. 
:  have  found  in  the  canal  a  most  valuable  home  market  for  their  produce.    At 
r  the  same  time,  it  has  left  the  company  without  the  power  of  regulating  the 
rates  of  freight,  although  they  have  largely  exercised  their  right  of  reduc- 
ing the  tolls.     For  several  years  after  the  canal  was  opened,  the  load  of  a> 
canal  boat  was  about  25  tons,  and  the  time  required  for  a  trip  from  Pottsville- 
.  to  Philadelphia, -and  back,  was  about  two  weeks. 

A  large  part  of  the  boats  now  carry  60  toas ;  and  the  trip  is  often  made 

in  eight  days.     The  increasing  of  the  loads,  and  the  shortening  of  the  time, 

'.}  are  both  important  elements  in  reducing  the  expense  of  transportation.     The  . 

';  former  is  mainly  due  to  the  increased  depth  of  water,  and  the  latter  to  the 

doubling  of  the  locks,  and  the  improvement  of  the  towing  paths.     Consid- 

.   crable  improvements  have  also  been  made  in  the  construction  of  the  boats. 

The  load  which  a  boat  can  carry  being  equal  to  the  difference  between  the' 

weight  of  the  boat  and  the  weight  of  the  water  which  it  displaces  when 

f  x)aded,  the  lightest  boat,  other  tljings  being  equal,  can  carry  the  largest  load. 

'■'.   Many  persons  interested  in  the  coal  trade,  having  expressed"  a  strong  desire 

.    that  a  boat  adapted  to  the  Schuylkill  navigation  should  be  built  of  iron,  sev- 


lUtu.  61 


«ral  stockholders  subscribed  to  the  fundfor  the  purposeof  building  such  an  iroa 
boat,  which  has  been  done  by  I.  P.  Morris  &  Co.,  of  this  city  ;  and  the  boat, 
which  is  of  good  model  and  very  substantial,  has  made  a  successful  trip  to  the 
coal  region  and  back  ;  but  as  she  has  proved  to  be  but  littie  lighter  than  a 
good  v»rooden  boat  of  similar  dimensions,  her  tonnage  is  not  materially  more. 

(To  be  continued.) 

Manumotive  Railway  Carriage. — We  are  informed  that  a  machine  of 

this  description  is  in  use  upon  the  London  and  Croydon  railway,  having  been  lately  made 
fOT  Mr.  Gregory,  the  resident  engineer,  by  Mr.  Gfeorge  England,  engineer,  well  known  as 
the  inventor  of  the  patent  traversing  screw  jack,  and  other  unportant  improvements.  The 
machine  is  light  and  elegant  in  appewance,  and  will  cany  seven  or  eight  persons  at  the 
rate  of  eighteen  miles  an  hour.  It  was  propelled  on  Monday  week  by  Mr.  Roberts,  dep- 
uty chairman  of  the  CrojAion  company,  ana  Mr.  Elngland,  the  inventor,  from  the  New 
Cross  Station  to  the  Dartmouth  Arms — a  distance  of  three  miles  up  an  inclined  [Jane  of  1 
in  100,  in  seventeen  minutes,  and  upon  the  level  line  at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour. 
It  is  intended  to  be  used  by  Gregory  and  his  assistants  to  traverse  the  line,  inspecting  any 
repairs  or  other  works  going  on  connected  with  the  railway ;  and  will,  in  our  opinion,  be 
found  particularly  useful  for  this  purpose,  and  more  especially  so  in  connection  with  those 
works  upon  the  line  which  it  is  necessary  to  cany  on  during  the  night.  We  have  no 
doubt  that  these  machines  will  come  into  general  use,  as  they  will  effect  a  considerable 
saving  to  the  company  in  the  expense  of  running  an  engine  for  the  purposes  which  they 
will  supfdv-  We  hail  with  pleasure  anything  calculated  to  reduce  that  most  important 
item  in  railway  accounts — the  locomotive  expenses, — [Railway  Times.] 

Stuffing  Boxes. — A  great  economy  in  the  tallow  usually  required  for  stuf- 
fing boxes  is  effected  by  encircling  the  rod  by  a  {riece  of  sheet  brass,  the  joint  being  a  di- 
agonal one,  and  the  bottom  edge  turned  up  all  round  like  the  brim  of  a  hat.  This  brass 
tube  is  packed  with  hemp  at  the  back,  and  extends  from  the  bottom  of  the  stuffing  box  to 
-within  three  quarters  of  an  inch  oft  he  top,  so  as  to  admit  of  the  gland  being  tightened,  and 
the  umier  edge  of  the  tube  is  bevelled  off,  so  as  to  prevent  the  packing  from  catching  upon 
it.  Tiiis  improvement  is  due  to  the  engineer  of  the  Tagus,  in  which  vessel  it  has  been  in 
-successful  operation  for  many  months  past ;  its  effect  is  to  keep  the  jHston  rods  in  the  beet 
'posnble  comition,  and  to  effect  a  saving  of  three-fourths  of  the  tallow.— [Artizan.] 

English  Locomotives  on  the  Continent. — In  Germany,  says  a  Leipzig 
.paper,  exclusive  of  Austria,  there  are  180  locomotives  of  English  manu&cture  running. 
Of  these,  Messrs.  Robert  Stephenson  &  Co.  made  81,  which  are  distributed  ovei^l4  linoe 
of  railway ;  Sharp  &  Co.  made  49  which  are  running  on  10  lines ;  Turner  &  Co.  made 
11 ;  Rothwelli  10;  Langridge  &  Co.,  5;  Forrester  &  Co.,  5;  Kirtly,  5;  Tayleur  &  Co^ 
1 ;  Bury  &  Co.,  4i    Fenton  &  Co.,  2;  Qaakell,  2;  Rennie,  1 ;  Hawthorn,  1^  Total  180. 

Helix  Propeller. — Seme  accoimt  was  lately  given  to  the  Paris  Academy 
X)f  Sciences  of  experiments  made  with  a  helix  propeller  on  the  Napoleon  steamboat.  The 
•engines  were  of  120  horse  power,  and  'the  results  were  that  she  would  go  10  knots  an  hour 
br  steam  alone  in  calm  weather,  and  that  in  a  voyage  from  Havre  to  Cherbourg,  and  from 
'<5herbourg  to  Southampton,  against  a  strong  north  wind  and  heavy  sea,  she  went,  with 
her  lofty  mast,  from  8-7  to  9  knots  an  hour.  Under  the  same  circumstances,  Uie  re- 
poiter  alleges  that  ordinary  paddles  would  not  have  exceeded  5  to  6  knots.  With  the  a»- 
nstance  of  the  wind  she  went  12  1-2  and  13  knots  in  the  sea.  The  reporter  also  affirms, 
that  this  vessel,  the  Napoleon,  beat  the  Pkito,  fitted  with  the  Archimedean  screw,  half  a 
knot  an  hour;  and  that  the  Pluto  beat  the  Archimedean  nearly  a  knot  an  hour.  Of  course 
therefore,  this  Napoleon  'would  beat  the  Archimedean  1  1-2  knots  an  hour.— {Herapath's 
Journal.]  • 

Profit&blt  Paterit — The  Mining  Journal  remarks  that  it  is  a  curious 
'&ct  in  sdentific  discovery,  that  the  most  profitable  invention  that  was  ever  patented  in  this 
or  any  other  country  accidentally  arose  out  of  an  application  to  Grovemment  to  admit  sugar 
for  Agricultural  purposes.  The  government  apphed  to  Mr.  Howard,  the  accomplished 
chemist,  brother  to  tne  late  dnke  of  Norfolk,  to  t^  some^experiments  for  the  purpose  of  as- 
certaining if  sugar  could  be  so  effectually  adulterated  that  it  could  not  be  again  converted 
into  culinary  uses.  For  this  purpose  he  mixed  all  kinds  of  noxious  materials  with  it,  but 
Jbe  question  remsdnid  whether  tney  could  be  again  separated,  and  in  the  experiments  to 
ascertain  this,  he  discovered  that  not  only  could  they  be  separated,  but  the  sugar  was  better 
■and  purer.  Out  of  this  arose  Howard's  patent  ■for  sugar  refining  and  the  use  of  the  vacuum 
pan ;  the  annual  nett  income  of  which,  from  Ucences  granted  for  its  use,  at  the  rate  of  la. 
per  cwt.,  yielding  in  some  years  between  £29,000  anu  £30,000.  One  house  in  London 
alone  paid  £4,00tfet  annum. 


Ha 


aib 


■■r 

3f. 


y' 


f\ 


t 

TABLE     No.     I. 

SLOPE    i   TO     1. 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DBPTH8,  BASB  16  FEET. 


T5f 
1 

2 
3 

4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 


31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
591 


Oi 

57 

119 

183 

252 

324 

400 

480 

563 

650 

741 

835 

933 

1,035 

1,141 

1,250 

1,363 

1,480 

1.600 


1 

c.  ydg. 


1,7^4 
1,852 
1,983 
2,118 
2,257 
2,400 
2,546 
2,696 
2,850 
3,007 
3,168 
30|  3,333 
3,502 
3,674 
3,850 
4,029 
4,213 
4,400 
4,591 
4,785 
4,983 
5,185 
5,391 
5,600 
5,813 
6,030 
0,250 
6,474 
6,702 
6,933 
7,168 
7,407 
7,650 
7,896 
8,146 
8,400 
8,657 
8,9ia 
9,183 
9,452 
9,724 


63 

125 

190 

259 

331 

408 

488 

571 

659 

750 

845 

943 

1,046 

1,151 

1,261 

1,374 

1,491 

1,612 

1,737 

1,865 

1,99 

2,132 

2,271 

2.414 

2;561 

2,711 

2,866 

3,023 

3,185 

3,350 

3,519 

3,691 

3,868 

4,048 

4,231 

4,419 

4,610 

4,805 

5,003 

5,205 

5,411 

5,621 

5,834 

6,051 

6,272 

6,497 

6,725 

6,957 


2 

c.  ydg. 


11 

69 

131 

197 

266 

339 

416 

496 

580 

668 

759 

854 

953 

1,056 

1,162 

1,272 

1,386 

1,503 

1,624 

1,749 

1,878 

2,010 

2,146 

2,286 

2,429 

2,576 

2,727 

2,881 

3,039 

3,201 

3,367 

3,536 

3,709 

3,886 

4,066 

4,250 

4,438 

4,629 

4,*24 

5,023 

5,226 

5,432 

5,642 

5,856 

6,073 

6,294 

6,519 

6,748 

6.980 


3 

c.  yda. 


7,1921  7,216 


7,431 

7,674 
7,921 
8,171 

8,426 
8,683 
8,945 


6010,000 


7,456 
7,699 
7,946 
8,197 
8,451 
8,709 
8,971 


9,210  9,237 

9,479  9,506 

9,751  i  9,779 

IO,(K^  10.056 


17 
75 

138 
203 
273 
346 
423 
504 
589 
677 
769 
864 
963 
1,066 
1,173 
1,283 
1,398 
1,515 
1,637 
1,762 
1,891 
2,023 
2,160 
2,300 
2,443 
2,591 
2,742 
2,897 
3,055 
3,217 
3,383 
3,553 
3,726 
3,903 
4,084 
4,269 
4,457 
4,649 
4,844 
5,043 
5,246 
5,453 
5,663 
5,878 
6,095 
6,317 
6,542 
6,771 
7,003 
7,240 
7,480 
7.723 
7;971; 
8,222| 
8,4771 
8,735| 
8.9971 
9,263| 
9,5331 
9,806l 
I0,083i 


4 

c.  yd». 


23 

81 

144 

210 

280 

354 

431 

512 

597 

686 

777 

874 

974 

1,077 

1,184 

1,295 

1,409 

1,527 

1,649 

1,775 

1,904 


5 

e.  ydi. 


28 

87 

150 

217 

287 

362 

439 

521 

606 

695 

786 

8^4 

984 

1,087 

1,195 

1,306 

1,421 

1,539 

1,662 

1,787 

1,917 


6 

c.  ydt. 


2,037  2,050 


2,174 
2,314 
2,458 
2,606 
2,757 
2,912 
3,071 
3,234 
3,400 
3,570 
3,744 
3,921 


2,187 
2,328 
2,473 
2,621 
2,773 
2,928 
3,087 
3,250 
3,417 
3,587 
3,762 
3,939 


4,102  4,121 
4,287  4,306 


4,476 
4,668 
4,864 
5,064 
5,267 
5,474 
5,685 
5,899 
6,117 
6,339 
6,565i 
6,794 
7,027 
7,264 
7,504 
7,748 
7,996 
8,247, 


4,495 

4,687 
4,884 
5,084 
5,287 
5,495 
5,706 
5.921 
6,139 
6,361 
6,587 
6,817 
7,050 
7,287 
7,528 
7,773 
8,021 
8,273l 


8,562]  8,.528l 
8,76li  8,787i 
9,024;  9.0501 
9,2901  9,317 
9,560|  '9,.587 
9.8341  9,863 
10,111110.1391 


M 

95 

157 

224 

295 

369 

447 

529 

615 

704 

796 

894 

994 

1,098 

1,206 

1,317 

1,432 

1,551 

1,674 

1,800 

1,930 

2,064 

2,201 

2,3® 

2,'187 

2,636 

2,788 

2,944 

3,103 

3,267 

3,434 

3,605 

3,779 

3,957 

4,139 

4,325 

4,514 

4,707 

4,904 

5,104 

5,308 

5,516 

5,727 

5,942 

6,161 

6,384 

6,610 

6,840 

7,074 

7,311 

7,552 

7,797 

8,016 

8,298 

8,5.54 

8,814 

9,077 

9,344 

9,615 

9,889 

0,167 


•7 
c.  yds. 


40( 

100 

163 

231 

302 

377 

455 

538 

623 

713 

806 

903 

1,004 

1,109 

1,217 

1,329 

1,444 

1,563 

1,686 

1,813 

1,943 

2,078 

2,215 

2.357 

2;502 

2,651 

2,803 

2,960 

3,120 

3,283 

3,451 

3,622 

3,797 

3,975 


•8 

c.  ydg. 


9 

c.  ydg. 


461 

106 

170 

238 

309 

385 

463 

546 

632 

722 

816 

913 

1,014 

1,119 

1,228 

1,340 

1,456 

1,576 

1,699 

1,826 

1,95 

2,091 

2,229 

2,271 

2,517 

2,666 

2,819 

2,976 

3,136 

3,300 

3,468 

3,639 

3,814 

3,993 


4,157  4,176 


4,343 

4,.533: 

4,726 

4,923 

5,124 

5,329 

5,537 

5,749 

5,964 

6,183 

6,406 

6,633 

6,863 

7,098 

7,335 

7,57 

7,822 

8,071 

8,32-1 

8,580 

8,840 

9,1(« 

9,;r7i 

9,612 
9,917 


4,362 
4,552 
4,746 
4,943 
5,144 
5,349 
5,558 
5,770 
5,986 
0.206 
6;429 
6,656 
6,887 
7,121 
7,3591 
7,601 
■7,847 
8,096 
8,349 
8.606 

8;8e6 

9,130 
9,398 
9,669 
9,944 


10,19510,223 


51 
112 

177 
245 
317 
392 
471 
554 
641 
731 
826 
923 
1,025 
1,130 
1,239  J 
1,351 
1,468 
1,588 
1,711 
1,839 
1,970 
2,105 
2,243 
2,386 
2,531 
2,681 
2,834 
2,941 
3,152 
3,317 
3,485 
3,S57 
3,832 
4,011 
4,194 
4,381 
4,571 
4,766 
4,963 
5,165 
5,370 
5,579 
5,791 
6,009 
6,228 
6,451 
6,679 
6,910 
7,145 
7,383 
7,625 
7,871 
8,121 
8,374 
8,631 
8,892 
9,157 
9,425 
9,697 
9,972 
10,251 


'!    » 


1 


Vi 


^ 


I 


'■'  '.'    f  :^  '  •■ 


<>     ;- 


'.i<^:':^.-i    ..  .v>.  ;  ■ 


TABLE     No.     II. 

SLOPE     ^    TO    1. 

CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BABE   18  FEET. 

g 

.    0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

•7 

•8 

« 

£  jc.yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.yAi. 

c.  yd». 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.yd.. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

1 

1       ( 

)      •; 

13 

2C 

2't 

34 

41 

48 

55 

61 

1 

6£ 

1          76 

83 

9C 

9- 

104 

111 

119 

126 

13a 

2 

141 

i4e 

156 

163 

171 

176 

186 

193 

201 

209 

2 

211 

r      224 

232 

24C 

24« 

25€ 

264 

272 

280 

288 

4 

296 

>      304 

312 

321 

329 

331 

346 

354 

363 

371 

5 

38C 

388 

397 

405 

414 

423 

431 

440 

449 

458 

6 

46': 

476 

485 

493 

503 

512 

521 

530 

539 

548 

7 

ss-j 

567 

576 

585 

595 

604 

614 

623 

633 

642 

8 

652 

661 

671      681 

«691 

700 

710 

720 

730 

740 

9 

750 

760 

7701     780 

790 

800 

811 

821 

831 

841 

10 

852 

862 

873 

883 

894 

904 

915 

925 

936 

947 

11 

957 

968 

979 

990 

1,001 

1,012 

1,023 

1,034 

1,045 

1,056 

13 

1,067 

1,078 

1,089 

1,100 

1,111 

1,123 

1,134 

1,145 

1,156 

1,168 

13 

1,180 

1,191 

1,203 

1,214 

1,226 

1,237 

1.249 

1,261 

1,273 

1,284 

14 

1,296 

1,308 

l,320i  1,332 

1,344 

1,356 

i;368 

1,380 

1,392 

1,404 

15 

1,417 

1,429 

1,441 1  1,453 

1,466 

1,478 

1,491 

1,503 

1,516 

1,528 

16 

1,541 

1,553 

1,566   1,579 

1,591 

1,604 

1,617 

1,630 

1,643 

1,656 

17 

1,669 

1,681 

1,695'  1,708 

1,721 

1,734 

1,747 

1,760 

1,773 

1,787 

18 

1,800 

1,813 

1,827   1,841 

1,854 

1,867 

1,881 

1,894 

1,908 

1,921 

19 

1,935   1,924 
2,074  2,088 

1,963    1,976 

1,990 

2,004 

2,018 

2,032 

2,046 

2,060 

20 

2,102  2,116 

2,131 

2,145 

2,159 

2,173 

2,188 

2,202 

21 

2,217 

2,231 

2,246;  2,260 

2,275 

2,289 

2,304 

2,319 

2,333 

2,348 

22 

2,363 

2,378 

2,393i  2,408 

2,423 

2.437 

2,453 

2,468 

2,483 

2,498 

23 

2,513 

2,528 

2,543!  2,559 

2,574 

2;589 

2,605 

2,620 

2,636 

2,651 

24 

2,667 

2,682 

2,698   2,713 

2,729 

2,745 

2,761 
2,920 

2,776 

2,792 

2,808 

25 

2,824 

2,840 

2,856;  2,8"^ 

2,888 

2,904 

2,936 

2,952 

2,969 

26 

2,985 

3,001 

3,018   3.034 

3,051 

3,067 

3,084 

3,100 

3,117 

3,133 

27 

3,150 

3,167 

3,183   3,200 

3,217 

3,234 

3,251 

3,268 

3,285 

3,301 

'28 

3,319 

3,336 

3,353   3,370 

3,387 

3,404 

3,421 

3,439 

3,456 

3,473 

29 

3,491 

3,508 

3,526 

3,543 

3,561 

3,578 

3,596 

3,613 

3,631 

3,649 

30 

3,667 

3,684 

3,702 

3,720 

3,738 

3,7.56 

3,774 

3,792 

3,810 

3,828 

31 

3,846 

3,864 

3,883 

3,901 

3,919 

3,937 

3,956 

3,974 

3,993 

4,011 

32 

4,030 

4,048 

4,067 

4,085 

4,104 

4,123 

4,141 

4,160 

4,179 

4,198 

33 

4,217 

4,236 

4,255 

4,273 

4,293 

4,312 

4,331 

4,350 

4,369 

4,388 

¥ 

4,407 

4,427 

4,446 

4,465 

4,485 

4,504 

4,524 

4,543 

4,563 

4,582 

36 

4,602 

4,621 

4,641 

4,661 

4,681 

4,700 

4,720 

4,740 

4,760 

4,780 

36 

4,800 

4,820 

4;840  4,860 

4,880 

4,900 

4,921 

4,941 

4,961 

4,981 

37 

5,002 

5,022 

5,043   5,063 

5,084 

5,104 

5,125 

5,145 

5,166 

5,187 

38 

5,207 

5,228 

5,249   5,270 

5,291 

5,312 

5,333 

.5,353 

5,375 

5,396 

39 

5,417 

5,438 

5,459   5,480 

5,501 

5,523 

5,544 

5,565 

5,587 

5,608 

40 

5,630 

5,651 

5,673[  5,694 

5,716 

5,737 

5,759 

5,781 

5,803 

5,824 

41 

5,846 

5,H68 

5,890|  5,912 

5,934 

5.956 

5,978 

6,000 

6,022 

6,044 

48 

6,067 

6,089 

6,1111  6,133 

6,156 

6;i78 

6,201 

6,223 

6,246 

6,268 

43 

6,291 

6,313 

6,336   6,359 
6,565  6,588 

6,381 

6,404 

6,427 

6.450 

6,473 

6,496 

44 

6,519 

6,541 

6,611 

6,634 

em 

6;680 

6,703 

6,727 

45 

6,750 

6,773 

6,797  6,820 

.6,844 

6,867 

6,8*   6,914| 

6,938 

6,961 

46 

6,985 

7,009 

7,033   7,056 

7,080 

7,104 

7,128 

7,152 

7,176 

7,200 

47 

7,224 

7,248 

1,272   7,296 

7.321 

7,345 

7,369 

7,393 

7.418 

7,442 

48 

7,467 

7,491 

7,516   7.540 

7,565 

7,589 

7,614 

7,639 

7,663 

7,688 

49 

7,712 

7,738 

7,76.31  7;788 

7,813 

7,837 

7,863 

7,888 

7,913 

7,938 

50 

7,963 

•7,988 

8.013;  8,039 

8,0fr4 

8,089 

8.115 

8,140 

8,166 

8,191 

51 

8,217 

8,242 

8,268j  8.293 

8,319 

8.345 

8;37I 

8,396 

8,4^ 

8,448 

52 

8,474 

8,500 

8,526i  8.552 

8.578 

8,604 

8,630 

8,656 

8,683 

8,709 

53 

8,735 

8,761 

8,788   8,814 

8,841 

8,867 

8,894 

8,920 

8,947 

8,973 

54 

9,000 

9.027 

9;053  9,080 

9,107 

9,1.34 

9,161 

9,188 

9,215 

9,241 

55 

9,269 

9,296 

9,323   9,350 

9,377 

9,404 

9,431 

9,459   9,486 

9,513 

56 

9,541 

9,568 

9,596   9,623 

9,651 

9,678 

9,706 

9,733   9,761 

9,789 

57 

9,817 

9,844 

9,872  9,899 

9,927 

9,955 

?,984 

10,012  10,040 

10,068 

58 

10,0i>6 

10,124 

10,15310,181 

10,209 

10,237 

10,266 

10.294  10,323 

10,351 

59 

10,380  10,4081 

10,437i  10,465 

10,494 

10,523 

10,551 

10,58010.609 

10.638 

60  10,607  10  696110,72510,753!  10,783'10.81 21 10.841' 10,870  10,899'10,928 1 

1                         TABLE     No.     III.                          1 

1                                                       SLOPE    J^    TO    1.                                                      '1 



CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPrHS,  BASE  26  FEET.                    1 

g 

1    -0    ,    -1 

2 

3 

4 

6 

6 

•7 

•8 

9 

s. 

c.  yd».    c.  yd*. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

28 

c.  yds. 

37 

c.  yds. 

47 

c.  yds. 
56 

c.yds. 

66 

0.  yds. 

75 

c.yds. 
85 

€ 

0            9 

19 

1 

94      104 

114 

123 

133 

143 

153 

163 

173 

183 

2 

193      203 

213 

223 

1233 

243 

253 

264 

274 

284 

2 

294      305 

315 

326 

336 

347 

357 

368 

378 

389 

4 

400      411 

428 

432 

443 

454 

465 

476 

487 

498 

5 

509      620 

532 

543 

554 

565 

5T7 

.588 

699 

611 

6 

622      634 

645 

657 

668 

680 

692 

703 

715 

727 

7 

739      751 

763 

775 

787 

799 

811 

823 

835 

847 

8 

859      872 

884 

896 

908k   921 

933 

946 

958 

971 

9 

9^3'     996 

1,008 

10,21 

1,034 

1,047 

1,059 

1,072 

1,085 

1,098 

10 

l.lll!  1,124 

1,137 

1,150 

1,-163 

1,176 

1,190 

1,203 

1,216 

1,229 

11 

1,213:  1,256 

1,269 

1,283 

1,296 

1,310 

1,323 

1,337 

1,350 

1,364 

12 

1,.378    1,391 

1,405 

1,419 

1,433 

1,447 

1,461 

1,475 

1,489 

1,503 

13 

1,517,  1,531 

1,545 

1,559 

1,573 

1,587 

1,602 

1,616 

1,630 

1,645, 

14 

1,659    1,674 

1,688 

1,703 

1,717 

1,732 

1,746 

17,61 

1,776 

1,791; 

15 

1,806:  1,820 

1,836 

1,850 

1,865 

1,880 

1,895 

1,910 

1,925 

1,940 

16 

1,956    1,971 

1,986 

2,001 

2,017 

2,032 

2,047 

2,063 

2,078 

2,094 

17 

2,109   2,125 

2,140 

2,156 

2,172 

2,187 

2,203 

2,219 

2,235 

2,251 

18 

2,267  2,283 

2,299 

2,315 

2,331 

2,347 

2,363 

2,379 

2,395 

2,4U 

19 

2,428,  2,444 

2,460 

2,477 

2,493 

2,510 

2,526 

2,543 

2,559 

2,576 

20 

2,593   2,609 

2,626 

2,643 

2,660 

2,676 

2,693 

2,710 

2,727 

2,744 

21 

2,761    2,778 

2,795 

2,812 

2,830 

2,847 

2,864 

2,881 

2,899 

2,916 

22 

2,933   2,951 

2,968 

2,986 

3,003 

3,021 

3|217 

3,056 

3,074 

3,091 

23 

3,109   3,127 

3,145 

3,163 

3,181 

3,199 

3,235 

3,253 

3,271 

24 

3,289   3,307 

3'^ 

3,343 

3,362 

3,380 

3,398 

3,417 

3,435 

3,454 

25 

3,472  3,491 

3,5(J9 

3,528 

3,546 

3,565 

3,584 

3,603 

3,622 

3,640 

26 

3,659 

3,678 

3,697 

3,716 

3,735 

3,754 

3,773 

3,792 

3,812 

3,831 

27 

3,850 

3,869 

3,889 

3,908 

3,927 

3,947 

3,966 

3,986 

4,005 

4,025 

28 

4,044 

4,064 

4,084 

4,103 

4,123 

4,143 

4,163 

4,183 

4,203 

4,223 

29 

4,243 

4,263 

4,283 

4,303 

4,323 

4,343 

4,363 

4,383 

4,404 

4,424 

30 

4,444 

4,465 

4,485 

4,506 

4,526 

4,547 

4,567 

4,588 

4,608 

4,629 

31 

4,650 

4,671 

4,692 

4,712 

4,733 

4,754 

4,775 

4,796 

4,817 

4,838 

32 

4,858 

4,880 

4,902 

4,923 

4,944 

4,965 

4,987 

5,008 

5,029 

5,051 

33 

5,072 

5,094 

5,115 

5,137 

5,158 

5,180 

5,202 

5,223 

5,245 

5,267* 

34 

5,289 

5,311 

5,333 

5,355 

5,377 

5,399 

5,421 

5,443 

5,465 

5,487. 
5,711. 

35 

55,09 

5,531 

5,554 

5,576 

5,598 

5,621 

5,643 

5,666 

5,688 

36 

5,733 

5,756 

5,778 

5,801 

5,824 

5,847 

5,870 

5,892 

5,915 

5,938; 

37 

5,961 

5,984 

6,007 

6,030 

6,053 

6,076 

6,099 

6,123 

6,146 

6,169 

38 

6,193 

6,216 

6,239 

6,263 

6,286 

6,310 

6,333 

6,357 

6,380 

6,404 

39 

6,428 

6,451 

d,475 

6,499 

6,523 

6,547 

6,571 

6,595 

6,619 

6,643 

40 

6,667 

6,691 

6,715 

6,739 

6,763 

6,787 

6,812 

6,836 

6,860 

6,885 

41 

6,909 

6,934 

6,958 

6,983 

7,007 

7,032 

7,057 

7,081 

7,106 

7,131, 

42 

7,156 

7,180 

7,205 

7,230 

7,255 

7,280 

7,305 

7,330 

7,355 

7,380 

43 

7,406 

7,431 

7,456 

7,481 

7,507 

7,532 

7,557 

7,583 

7,608 

7,634. 

44 

7,659 

7,685 

'■m 

7,736 

7,762 

7,787 

7,813 

7,839 

7,865 

7,891 

45 

7,917 

7,943 

7,995 

8,021 

8,047 

8,073 

8,099 

8,125 

8,151 

46 

8,178 

8,204 

8,230 

8,257 

8,283 

8,310 

8,336 

8,363 

8,389 

8,416 

47 

8,442 

8,469 

8,496 

8,523 

8,550 

8,576 

«,603 

.8,630 

8,657 

8,684- 

48 

8,711 

8,73§ 

8,765 

8,792 

8,820 

8,847 

8,874 

8,901 

8,929 

8,956 

49 

8,983 

9,011 

9,038 

9,066 

9,093 

9,121 

9,148 

9,176 

9,204 

9,331 

50 

9,259 

9,287 

9,315 

9,343 

9,371 

9,399 

9,427 

9,455 

9^483 

9,511 

51 

9,539 

9,567 

9,595 

9,623 

9,652 

9,680 

9,708 

9,737 

9,765 

9,794 

52 

9,822 

9,851 

9,879 

9,908 

9,936 

9,965 

9,994 

10,023 

10,062 

10,080 

53 

10,109 

10,138 

10,167 

10.196 

10,225 

10,254 

10,283 

10,312 

10,342 

10,371 

54 

10,400 

10,429 

10,459 

10;488 

10,517 

10,547 

lt),576 

10,606 

10,635 

10,665 

55 

10,694 

10,724 

10,754 

10,783 

10,813 

10,843 

K),873 

10,903 

10,933 

10,963 

56 

10,993 

11,023 

11,053 

11.083 

11,113 

11,143 

11,173 

11,203 

11,234 

11,264 

57 

U,294ill,325| 

11,355 

11,386 

11,416 

11,447 

1.1,477 

11,508 

11,538 

11,569 

58 

11,600 

11,631 

11,662 

11,692 

11,T23 

11,754 

11,785 

11,816 

11,847 

11,878 

59 

11,^09 

11,940 

11,972 

12,003 

12,034 

12,065 

12,097 

12,128 

12,159 

12,191 

60*12,222 

12,254  12285J12,317'12^I 

12,380  12,412112,443112,475112,507 1 

r/ 


/  / 


•»>.- 

-■•*»"-- 

• 

m^j;  .  ««-.£.' 

^-i.'ii« 

* ;-■•.■ -i'f^iw.  L--_---... 

-*_•.'.  '4  '-    .-     1 

TABLENo.IV. 

( 

J 

!'■'"':■■:'.                                   SLOPE    i   TO    1.                        i.  V  ^''- .  ■  ^  "=  . -^. 

r 

CONTENT  FOR  A,VERAGE  UEFTHB,  BASE  28  FECI. 

i 

O 

1 

2 

3 

4        5 

6 

•7 

•8 

9 

s. 

e.jim. 

c.  ydi. 

c.  xdi. 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yds. 

c.  ydi. 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yd*. 

0 

0 

10 

21 

31 

42 

52 

63 

73 

84 

95 

1 

106 

116 

127 

138 

149 

160 

.    171 

182 

193 

204 

2 

215 

,    226 

237 

248 

260 

271 

282 

293 

305 

316 

3 

328 

339 

341 

352 

364 

376 

387 

399 

411 

423 

'■ 

4 

444 

456 

468 

480 

492 

504 

516 

528 

540 

553 

5 

565 

577 

589 

602 

614 

626 

639 

651 

654 

666 

6 

689 

701 

714 

727 

740 

752 

765 

778 

791 

804 

7 

817 

830 

843 

856 

869 

882 

895 

908 

922 

935 

.  8 

948 

961 

975 

988 

1,002 

1,015 

1,029 

l^ 

1,056 

1,070 

9 

1,063 

1,097 

1,111 

1,125 

1,138 

1,152 

1,166 

1,194 

1,208 

10 

1,222 

1,236 

1,250 

1,265 

1,279 

1,293 

1,307 

1,322 

1,336 

1,350 

,' 

11 

1,365 

1,379 

1,394 

1,406 

1,423 

1,437 

1,452 

1,467 

1,482 

1,496 

12 

1,511 

1,526 

1,541 

1,556 

1,571 

1,586 

1,601 

1,616 

1,631 

1,646 

■13 

1,661 

1,676 

1,692 

1,707 

1,722 

1,737 

1,753 

1,768 

1,784 

1,799 

, 

14 

1,815 

1,830 

1,846 

1,862 

1,877 

1,893 

1,909 

1,925 

1,940 

1,956 

15 

1,972 

1,988 

2,004 

2,020 

2,036 

2,052 

2,068 

2,065 

2,101 

2,117 

16 

2,133 

2,160 

2,166 

2,182 

2,199 

2,215 

2,232 

2,248 

2,265 

2,281 

17 

2,298 

2,315 

2,332 

2,348 

2,365 

2,382 

2,399 

2,416 

2,433 

2,450 

18 

2,467 

2,484 

2,501 

2,518 

.2,535 

2,552 

2,570 

2,587 

2,604 

2,621 

- 

19 

2,639 

2,656 

2,674 

2,691 

2,709 

2,726 

2,744 

2,762 

2,779 

2,797 

90 

2,815 

2,833 

2,850 

2,868 

2,886 

2.904 

2,922 

2,940 

2,958 

2,976 

21 

2,994 

3,013 

3,031 

3,019 

3,067 

3;086 

3,104 

3,122 

3,141 

3,159 

22 

3,178 

3,1% 

3,2>5 

3,233 

3,252 

3,271 

3/290 

3,306 

3,327 

3,346 

23 

3,365 

3,384 
S;575 

3,403 

3,422 

3,441 

3,460 

3,479 

3,498 

3,517 

3,536 

24 

3,556 

3,594 

3,614 

3,633 

3,652 

3,672 

3,691 

3,711 

3,730 

25 

3,750 

3,770 

3,789 

3,809 

3,829 

3,849 

3,868 

3,888 

3,908 

3,928 

26 

3,948 

3,968 

3,988 

4,008 

4,028 

4,049 

4,069 

4,089 

4,100 

4,130 

:27 

4,150 

4^170 

4,191 

4,211 

4,232 

4,252 

4,273 

4,293 

4,314 

4,335 

^28 

4,356 

4,376 

4,397 

4,418 

4,439 

4,460 

4,481 

4,502 

4,523 

4,544 

i29 

4,569 

4,586 

4,607 

4,628 

4,650 

4,671 

4,692 

4,713 

4,735 

4,756 

30 

4,778 

4,799 

4,821 

4,842 

4,8&4 

4,886 

4,907 

4,929 

4,951 

4,973 

31 

4,994 

5,016 

5,038 

5,060 

5,082 

5,104 

5,126 

5,148 

5,170 

5,193 

32 

5,215 

5,237 

5,259 

5,282 

5,304 

5,326 

5,349 

5,371 

5,394 

5,416 

33 

5,439 

5,461 

5,484 

5,507 

5,530 

5,552 

5,575 

5,598 

5,621 

5,644 

,34 

5,667 

5,690 

5,713 

5,736 

5,759 

5,782 

5,805 

5,828 

5,852 

5,875 

35 

5,898 

5,921 

5,945 

5,968 

5,992 

6,015 

6,039 

6,062 

6,086 

6,110 

36 

6,133 

6,157 

6,181 

6,205 

6,228 

6,252 

6,276 

6,300 

6,324 

6,348 

.37 

6,372 

6,396 

6,420 

6,445 

6,469 

6,493 

6,517 

6,542 

6,566 

6,590 

;38 

6,615 

6,639 

6,664 

6,688 

6,713 

6,737 

6,762 

'6,787 

6,812 

6,836 

39 

6,861 

6,886 

6,911 

6,936 

6,9G1 

6,986 

7,011 

7,036 

7,061 

7,086 

.40 

7^1 
7^ 

7,136 

7,162 

7,187 

7,212 

7,237 

7,263 

7,288 

7,314 

7,339 

41 

7,390 

7,416 

7,442 

7,467 

7,493 

,  7,519 

7,545 

7,570 

7,596 

,' 

;42 

7,622 

7,648 

7,674 

7,700 

7,726 

7,752 

7,778 

7,805 

7,831 

7,857 

'•;' 

"• 

!43 

7,883 

7,910 

7,936 

7,962 

7,989 

8,015 

8,042 

8,068 

8,095 

8,121 

,44 

8,148 

^  8,175 

8,202 

8,228 

8,255 

,8,282 

8,309 

8,336 

8,363 

8,390 

^ 

'45 

8,417 

8,444 

8,471 

8,498 

8,525 

8,552 

8,580 

8.607 

8,634 

8,661 

• 

^ 

;46 

8,689 

8,716 

8,744 

8,771 

8,799 

8,826 

8,854 

8,882 

8,909 

8,937 

47 

8,965 

8,993 

9,020 

9,048 

9,076 

9,104 

9,132 

9,160 

9;188 

9,216 

1 

48 

9,244 

9,273 

9,301 

9,329 

9,357 

9,386 

9,414 

9,442 

9,471 

,9,499 

\ 

49 

9,528 

9,556 

9,585 

9,613 

9,642 

9,671 

9,700 

9,728 

9,757 

9,786 

50 

9,815 

9,844 

9,873 

9,902 

9,931 

9,960 

9,989 

10,018 

10,047 

10,076 

51 

10,106 

10,135 

10,164 

10,193 

10,223 

10,252 

10.282 

10.311 

10,341 

10,370 

' 

52 

10,400 

10,430 

10,459 

10,489 

10,519 

10,549 

10,578 

10,608 

10.638 

10,668 

53 

10,698 

10,728 

10,758 

10,788 

10,818 

10,849 

10,879 

10,909 

10,93» 

10,970 

54 

11,000 

11,030 

12,061 

11,091 

11,122 

11.152 

11,183 

if  213 

11,244 

11,275 

55 

11,306 

11,336 

11,367 

11,398 

11,429 

li;460 

11,491 

11,522 

11.553 

11,584 

56 

11,615 

11,646 

11,677 

11,708 

11,740 

11^771 

11,802 

11,833 

11,865 

11,896 

57 

11,928 

11,959 

11,991 

12,022 

12,054 

12,086 

12,117 

^2,149 

12,181 

12,213 

58 

12,244 

12,276 

11,308 

12,340 

12,372 

12.404 

12,436 

^2,468 

12,500 

12,533 

69 

12,565 

12,597 

12,629 

12,662 

12,694 

12:T26 

12,759 

12,791 

12,824 

12,866 

\ 

60I12,889'12,921'12,954'12,987 

13,020 

13;052'13,085'13,118I13,151 

13,184 

^k 


'  >  ■»  ■ 


TABLE     No.     V.*' 

|.  •  SLOPE     ^    TO    1. 

CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  30  FEET 


* 


c.  yds. 


4 
5 

6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
5 
58 
59 
60l 


0 

c.yds. 


0 
113 
230 
350 
474 
602 
733 
867 
1,007 
1,150 
1,296 
1,446 
1,600 
1,757 
1,919 
2,083 
2,252 
2,424 
2,600 
2,780 
2,963 
3,150 
3,3U 
3,535 
3,T33 
3,935 
4,141 
4,350 
4,563 
4,779 
5,000 
5,224 
5,452 
5,683 
5,919 
6,157 
6,400 
6,646 
6,896 
7,150 
7,407 
7,669 
7,933 
8,202 
8,474 
8,750 
9,030 
9,313 
9,600 
9,891 
10,185 
10,483 
10,785 
11,091 
11,400 
11,713 
12,030 
12,350 
12,674 
13,002 
13,333 


1 

c.  yd*. 


2 

c.  yds. 


11 

124 

242 

362 

487 

615 

747 

882 

1,02* 

1,164 

1,311 

1,461 

1,616 

1,773 

1,935 

2,100 

2,269 

2,441 

2,618 

2,798 

2,981 

3,169 

3,360 

3,555 

3,753 

3,956 

4,161 

4,371 

4,584 

4,801 

5,022 

5,247 

5,475 

5,707 

5,942 

6,181 

6,424 

6,671 

6,921 

7,176 

7,433 

7,695 

7,960 

8,229 

8,501 

8,778 

9,058 

9,341 

9,629 

9,920 

10,215 

10,513 

10,816 

11,121 

11,431 

11,744 

12,061 

12,382 

12,707 

13,035 


22 
136 
253 
374 

499 

628 

760 

896 

1,036 

1,179 

1,326 

1,477 

1,631 

1,789 

1,951 

2,117 

2.286 

2,459 

2,636 

2,816 

3,000 

3,188 

3,379 

3,575 

3,773 

3,976 

4,182 

4,392 

4,606 

4,823 

5,045 

5,289 

5,498 

5,730 

5,966 

6,206 

6,449 

6,696 

6.947 

7,201 

7,459 

7,721 

7,987 

8,256 

8,529 

8,806 

9,086 

9,370 

9,658 

9,949 

10,245 

10,543 

10,846 

1^152 

11,462 

11,776 

12,093 

12,415 

12,739 

13,068 


3 

.  yds. 


33 

148 

265 

387 

512 

641 

773 

910 

1,050 

1,193 

•1,341 

1,492 

1,647 

1,805 

1,968 

2,133 

2,303 

2,476 

2,653 

2,834 

3,019 

3,207 

3,399 

3,594 

3,793 

3,996 

4,203 

4,413 

4,628 

4,845 

5,067 

5,292 

5,521 

5,753 

5,990 

6,230 

6,473 

6,721 

6,972 

7,22 

7,485 

7,748 

8,013 

8,283 

8,556 

8,833 

9,114 

9,399 

9,687 

9,979 

10,274 

10,573 

10,876 

11,183 

11,493 

11,808 

12,125 

12,447 

12,772 


5 

c.  yds. 


6 

c.  yds. 


13,36713,400 


45 

159 

277 

399 

526 

654 

787 

924 

1,064 

1,208 

1,356 

1,507 

1,662 

1,821 

1,984 

2,150 

2,320 

2,494 

2,671 

2,853 

3,037 

3,226 

3,418 

3,614 

3,814 

4,017 

4,224 

4,435 

4,649 

4,867 

5,089 

5,315 

5,544 

5,777 

6,014 

6,254 

6,498 

6,746 

6,997 

7,252 

7,511 

7,774 

8,040 

8,310 

8,584 

8,861 

9,143 

9,427 

9,716 

10,008 

10,304 

10,604 

10,907 

11,214 

11,525 

11,839 

12,157 

12,479 

12,805 


13,101  13,134 
13,433113,467 


56 

171 

289 

412 

537 

667 

800 

937 

1,078 

1,223 

1,371 

1,523 

1,678 

1,837 

2,000 

2,167 

2,328 

2,512 

2,689 

2,871 

3,056 

3,245 

3,437 

3,634 

3,834 

4,037 

4,245 

4,456 

4,671 

4,889 

5,112 

5,337 

5,567 

5,800 

6,037 

6,278 

6,523 

6,771 

7,023 

7,278 

7,537 

7,800 

8,067 

8,337 

8,612 

8,889 

9,171 

9,456 

9,745 

10,03 

10,334 

10,634 

10,937 

11,245 

11,556 

11,871 

12,189 

12,512 

12,837 

13,167 

13,500 


183 
301 
424 
550 

680 

814 

951 

1,092 

1,237 

1,386 

1,538 

1,694 

1,854 

2,017 

2,184 

2,355 

2,529 

2,707 

2,889 

3,075 

3,264 

3,457 

3,654 

3,854 

4,058 

4,266 

4,4T7 

4,693 

4,911 

5,134 

5,360 

5,590 

5,824 

6,061 

6,303 

6,547 

6,796 

7,048 

7,304 

7,564 

7,827 

8,094 

8,365 

8,639 

8,917 

9,199 

9,485 

9,774 

10,067 

10,364 

10,664 

10,968 

11,276 

11,587 

11,903 

12,221 

12,544 

12,870 

13,200 

13,534 


•7 

.  yds. 


■8 

.  yds. 


79 

194 

313 

436 

563 

693 

828 

965 

1,107 

1,252 

1,401 

1,553 

1,710 

1,870 

2,033 

2,201 

2,372 

2,547 

2,725 

2,908 

3,093 

3,283 

3,476 

3,673 

3,874 

4,079 

4,287 

4,499 

4,714 

4,933 

5,156 

5,383 

5,613 

5,848 

6,085 

6,327 

6,572 

6,821 

7,073 

7,330 

7,590 

7,853 

8,121 

8,392 

8,667 

8,945 

9,228 

9,514 

9,803 

10,096 

10,393 

10,694 

10,999 

11,307 

11,619 

11,934 

12,253 

12,576 

12,903 

13,233 

13,568 


9 

c.  yds. 


90 

206 

326 

449 

576 

707 

841 

979 

1,120 

1,267 

1,416 

1,569 

1,726 

1,886 

2,050 

2,218 

2,389 

2,565 

2,743 

2,926 

3;il2 

3,302 

3,496 

3,693 

3,895 

4,099 

4,308 

4,520 

4,736 

4,956 

5,179 

5,406 

5,637 

5,871 

6,109 

6,351 

6,597 

6,846 

7,099 

7,356 

7,616 

7,880 

8,148 

8,419 

8,694 

8,972 

9,256 

9,542 

9,832 

10,126 

10,423 

10,725 

11,029 

11,338 

11,650 

11,966 

12,286 

12,609 

12,936 

13,267 

13,601 


101 

218 

338 

461 

589 

720 

855 

993 

1,136 

1,281 

1,431 

1,584 

1,741 

1,902 

2,067 

2,235 

2,407 

2,582 

2,761 

2,944 

3,131 

3,321 

3,516 

3,713 

3,915 

4,120 

4,329 

4,541 

4,758 

4,978 

5,201 

5,429 

5,660 

5,895 

6,133 

6,376 

6,621 

6,871 

7,124 

7,381 

«,642 

7,907, 

8.175 

8,447 

8,722 

9,000 

9,284 

9,571 

9,861 

10,156 

10,453 

10,755 

11,060 

11,369 

11,681 

11,998 

12,318 

12,641 

12,969 

13,300 

13,635 


■  ••-         .">»_! 


.*t..      >  .•   -^ 


'n^X' 


.■^^«#t».i  ttr%^-  ■^'T^-^  fi,r%,..^ 


'r'i( 


¥ 


TABLENo.VI. 

\:]           ..•;,.:;■';..  Aslope   ^  to  1.        ,               '         .  fi 

CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  34  FEET. 

1 

0 

1 

•2       -3    1 

•4 

5        6 

•7 

•8 

9 

s. 

^  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds.     c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

"o 

0 

13 

25 

38 

51 

63        76 

.89 

102 

115 

1 

128 

141 

154 

167 

180 

193      206 

219 

233 

246 

•2 

259 

273 

286 

299 

313 

3-26      3-iO 

354 

377 

391 

3 

394 

408 

422 

436 

450 

463      477 

491 

508 

519 

4 

533 

547 

562 

576 

590 

604      618 

633 

647 

661 

5 

676 

690 

705 

719 

734 

749      763 

778 

793 

807 

6 

822 

837 

852 

867 

882 

897      912 

927 

942 

957 

7 

972 

987 

1,003 

1,018 

1,033 

1,049    1,063 

1,078 

1,096 

1,110 

8 

1,136 

1,142 

1,157 

1,173 

1,188 

1,20-1    l,-220 

1,23(; 

1,252   i;267| 

9 

1,383 

1,299 

1,315 

1,331 

1,347 

1,363    1,380 

1,396 

1,412 

1,428 

10 

1,444 

1,461 

1,477 

1,494 

1,510 

1,526    1,543 

1,559 

1,576 

1,593 

11 

1,609 

1,626 

1,6-13 

1,659 

1,676 

1,693    1,710 

1,727 

1,744 

1,761 

12 

1,778 

1,795 

1,812 

1,829 

1,846 

1,863    1,881 

1,898 

1,915 

1,933 

13 

1,950 

1,967 

1,985 

2,002 

2,020 

2,038   2,055 

2,073 

2,090 

2,106 

14 

2,126 

2,144 

2,162 

2,179 

2,197 

2,215   2,233 

2,251 

2,269 

2,287 

15 

2,306 

2,334 

2,342 

2,360 

2,378 

2,397  2,415 

2,434 

2,452 

2,470 

16 

3,489 

3,507 

2,526 

2,545 

2,563 

2,582   2,601 

2,619 

2,638 

3,657 

n 

2,676 

3,695 

2,714 

2,733 

2,752 

2,771    2,790 

2,809 

2,838 

3,847 

18 

2,867 

3,886 

2,905 

2,9-25 

2,944 

2,963   2,983 

3,002 

3,022 

3,042 

19 

3,061 

3,081 

3,100 

3,120 

3;i40 

3,160   3,180 

3,199 

3,219 

3,239 

90 

3,-259 

3,279 

3,299 

3,319 

3,340 

3,360   3,380 

3,400 

3,420 

3,441 

21 

3,461 

3,482 

3,502 

3,522 

3,543 

3,563   3,584 

3,605 

3,«25 

3,646 

22 

3,667 

3,687 

3,708 

3,729 

3,750 

3,771   3,792 

3,813 

3,834 

3,855 

23 

3,876 

3,897 

3,918 

3,939 

3,961 

3,982   4,003 

4,0-26 

4,046 

4,067 

34 

4,089 

4,110 

4,132 

4,154 

4,175 

4,197   4,218 

4,240 

4,262 

4,384 

25 

4,306 

4,327 

4,349 

4,371 

4,393 

4,415   4,437 

4,459 

4,482 

4,504 

26 

4,526 

4,548 

4,570 

4,593 

4,615 

4,638   4,660 

4,682 

4,705 

4,727 

27 

4,750 

4,773 

4,795 

4,818 

4,841 

4,863;  4,886 

4,909 

4,932 

4,955 

28 

4,978 

5,001 

5,(h24 

5,047 

5,070 

5,093!  5,116 

5,139 

5,163 

5,186 

29 

5,209 

5,233 

5,256 

5,279 

5,303 

5,326   5,350 

5,^4 

5,397 

5,421 

30 

5,444 

5,468 

5,492 

5,516 

5,540 

5,563'  5,587 

5,611 

5,635 

5,65ft 

31 

5,683 

5,707 

5,732 

5,756 

5,780 

5,804   5.828 

5,653 

5,877 

5,902 

32 

5,936 

5,950 

5,975 

5,999 

6,024 

6,049   6;073 

6,098 

6,123 

6,147 

33 

6,172 

6,197 

6,222 

6,247 

6,272 

6,297 

6,322 

6,347 

6,372 

6,397 

34 

6,422 

6,447 

6,473 

6,498 

6,523 

6,549 

6,574 

6,599 

6,625 

6,650 

35 

6,676 

6,702 

6,727 

6,753 

6,778 

6,804 

6,830 

6,856 

6,882 

6,907 

36 

6,933 

6,959 

6,985 

7,011 

7,037 

7,063 

7,090 

7,116 

7,142 

7,168 

37 

7,194 

7,321 

7,247 

7,274 

7,300 

7,326 

7,353 

7,379 

7,406 

7,433 

38 

7,459 

7,486 

7,513 

7,539 

7,566 

7,593 

7,620 

7,647 

7,674 

7,701 

39 

7,738 

7,755 

7,782 

7,809 

7,836 

7,863 

7,891 

7,918 

7,945  7,973 

40 

8,000 

8,027 

8,055 

8,082 

8,110 

8,138 

8,165 

8,193 

8,220  8,248 

41 

8,276 

8,304 

8,332 

8,359 

8,387 

8,415 

8,443 

8,471 

8,#9   8,527 

42 

8,556 

8)?39 

8,584 

8,612 

8,640 

8,668 

8,697 

8,725 

8,754 

8,782  8,810 

43 

8,867 

8,896 

8,925 

8,953 

8,982 

9,01L 

9,039 

9,068  9,097 

44 

9,136 

9,155 

9,184 

9,213 

9,242 

9,271 

9,299 

9,329 

9,358  9,38/ 

45 

9,417 

9,446 

9,475 

9,505 

9,534 

9,563|  9,593 

9,622 

9,652   9,682 

46 

9,711 

9,741 

9,770 

9,800 

9,830 

9,860;  9,81>0 

9;919 

9,949   9,979 

47 

10,009 

10,039 

10,069 

10,099 

10,130 

10,16010.190 

10,220 

10,250  10,281 

48 

10,311 

10,34-2 

10,37-2 

10,402 

10,433 

10,463 

10,494 

10,525 

10,555  10,586 

49 

io,()i: 

10,647 

10,678 

10,709 

10,740 

10,771 

10,80-2 

10,833 

10,864  10,895 

50 

10,926 

10,957 

I0,98f5 

11,019 

11,051 

11,082 

11,113 

11,145 

11,17611.207 

51 

11,239 

11,260 

11,292 

11^24 

11,355 

11,387 

11,428 

11,460 

11,49211.5-24 

52 

11,556 

11,58' 

11,619 

11,651 

11,683 

11,715 

11,747 

11,779 

11,81211,844 

53 

11,876 

11,908 

11,940 

11,973 

12,005 

12,03» 

12,070 

12.102 

12,1351-2,167 

b\ 

12,300 

12,233 

12,265 

12,298 

12,331 

12,363 

12.396 

12;429 

1-2,46312,496 

55 

13,538 

12,561 

12,594 

12,627 

12,660 

12,693 

1-236 

12,760 

12,793  12,826 

56 

12,859 

12,89: 

12,926 

12,959 

12,993 

13,0-26 

13.060 

13,094 

13,12713,161 

5- 

13,194 

13,22^ 

13,26-2 

I3,29(i 

13,3-29 

l3,3(i.S 

13,397 

13.431 

13,46513,499 

58 

13,533 

13,56': 

13,60-2 

13,63(5 

13,670 

13,704 

13,738 

13,77:5 

13.807  13,842 

59 

13,87(; 

I3,91f 

I3,94f 

13,970 

14,014 

14,049 

14,083 

14,118 

14,1.53  14,  IS" 

6( 

14,22£ 

14.2.5: 

!4.2;>-2 

11.32: 

14  362 

14.39:!  14.4.32 

14.467 

14..502  14.5:^7 

■ 

•aeihi^7 

-frt.^-*  '-   -^ 

>1 


i* 


, ./ 


-.ST.' 


TABLE     No.     VII 

SLOPE    ^   TO     1. 


CORRECTION  FOR  DIFFERENCES  OF  DEPTHS 

1 

O 

1 

2 

3 

4 

6 

6 

•7 

•8 

» 

~i 

c.  yd«. 

•c.  jrd». 
0 

c<yds. 

c.  yd). 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yd*. 

c.  yd*. 

c.jrd*.' 

c.yda. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

3 

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

9 

9 

4 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

5 

4 

4 

4 

4 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

9 

9 

« 

10 

8 

10 

10 

10 

11 

11 

11 

11 

12 

12 

19 

9 

12 

13 

ra 

13 

13 

14 

14 

15 

15 

15 

10 

15 

16 

16 

16 

17 

17 

17 

18 

18 

19 

11 

19 

19 

19 

20 

20 

20 

21 

21 

91 

99 

12 

22 

23 

23 

23 

24 

24 

25 

25 

26 

96 

13 

26 

26 

27 

27 

28 

28 

29 

29 

29 

30 

14 

30 

31 

31 

32 

32 

32 

33 

33 

34 

34 

15 

35 

35 

36 

36 

71 

37 

38 

38 

39 

39 

16 

40 

40 

41 

41 

42 

42 

43 

43 

44 

44 

17 

45 

45 

46 

46 

47 

47 

48 

48 

49 

49 

18 

50 

51 

51 

52 

52 

53 

53 

54 

65 

55 

19 

56 

56 

57 

57 

58. 

59 

59 

60 

60 

61 

20 

62 

62 

63 

64 

64 

65 

65 

66 

67 

67 

21 

68 

69 

69 

70 

71 

71 

72 

73 

73 

74 

'3a, 

75 

75 

76 

77 

77 

78 

78 

79 

80 

81 

23 

82 

82 

83 

«4 

84 

S5 

86 

87 

87 

88 

24 

89 

90 

90 

91 

92 

93 

93 

94 

95 

96 

25 

96 

97 

98 

99 

100 

100 

101 

102 

.  103 

104 

26 

104 

105 

106 

r07 

108 

108 

109 

110 

111 

119 

27 

112 

113 

114 

115 

116 

117 

118 

118 

119 

120 

28 

121 

122 

123 

124 

124 

125 

126 

127 

128 

129 

29 

130 

131 

132 

132 

133 

134 

135 

136 

137 

138 

30 

139 

14e 

141 

142 

143 

144 

144 

145 

146 

147 

31 

148 

149 

150 

151 

152 

153 

154 

155 

156 

157 

32 

158 

159 

160 

161 

162 

163 

164 

165 

166 

167 

33 

168 

169 

17t> 

171 

172 

173 

174 

175 

176 

177 

34 

178 

179 

181 

182 

183 

184 

185 

186 

187 

188 

35 

189 

IW 

191 

192 

193 

194 

196 

197 

198 

199 

36 

200 

201 

202 

203 

204 

206 

907 

908 

909 

210 

37 

211 

212 

214 

215 

216 

217 

218 

219 

920 

229 

38 

223 

224 

225 

226 

228 

229 

230 

931 

232 

234 

39 

235 

236 

237 

238 

240 

241 

242 

943 

244 

246 

40 

247 

248 

249 

251 

252 

253 

254 

256 

267 

966 

41 

25^ 

261 

262 

263 

264 

266 

967 

968 

970 

271 

42 

27? 

274 

275 

276 

277 

279 

980 

981 

98S 

984 

43 

285 

287 

288 

289 

291 

292 

293 

995 

296 

297 

44 

299 

300 

301 

303 

304 

306 

307 

306 

310 

311 

45 

313 

314 

315 

317 

318 

319 

9 

391 

329 

394 

326 

3 


/^^^      i^yC-  ^  -2^*-V*  e-^* 


^v^->7  / 


1 


TABLE     No.     VIII. 

SLOPE    1    TO    1. 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BA8E  15  FEET. 


\ 


i 

0 

1 

•2 

3 

4 

•5       -6:  1 

■7 

•8 

9 

1 

0 

0 

c.  yd*. 
6 

c.  yds. 

c.  yd». 

c.  yds. 
23 

c.  yds. 

29 

c.  yd». 
35 

c.  yds. 
41 

c.  yds. 
47 

c.  yds. 
53 

11 

17 

1 

59 

66 

72 

79 

85 

92 

^8 

105 

112 

119 

2 

126 

133 

140 

147 

155 

161 

168 

176 

184 

190 

3 

200 

208 

216 

224 

232 

240 

248 

256 

265 

273 

4 

281 

290 

299 

307 

316 

325 

334 

343 

352 

361 

5 

370 

380 

389 

399 

408 

418 

427 

437 

447 

457 

6 

467 

477 

487 

497 

507 

518 

528 

539 

549 

560 

7 

570 

581 

592 

603 

6U 

625 

636 

647      6591 

670 

8 

681 

693 

705 

716 

728 

740 

752 

764 

776 

788 

9 

800 

812 

825 

837 

850 

862 

875 

887, 

900 

913 

10 

926 

939 

952 

965 

978 

992 

1,005 

1,015 

1,088 

1,046 

11 

1,059 

1,073 

1,087 

1,101 

1,115 

1,129 

1,142 

1,167 

1,171 

1,186 

12 

1,200 

1,215 

1,229 

1,244 

1,258 

1,273 

1,288 

1,303 

1,318 

1,333 

13 

1,348 

1,363 

1,379 

1,394 

1,410 

1,425 

1,441 

1,456 

1,472 

1,488 

14 

1,504 

1,520 

1,536 

1,552 

1,568 

1,584 

1,601 

1,617 

1,634 

1,650 

15 

1,667 

1,683 

1,700 

1,717 

1,734 

1,751 

1,768 

1,785 

1,802 

1,820 

16 

1,837 

1,855 

1,872 

1,890 

1,907 

1,925 

1,943 

1,961 

1,979 

1,997 

17 

2,014 

2,033 

2,051 

2,070 

2,088 

2,107 

2,125 

2,144 

2,163 

2,181 

18 

2,200 

2,219 

2,238 

2,257 

2,276 

2,295 

2,315 

2,334 

2,354 

2,373 

19 

2,393 

2,412 

2,432 

2,452 

2,472 

2,492 

2,512 

2,532 

2,552 

2,572 

30 

2,593 

2,613 

2,634 

2,654 

2,675 

2,695 

2,716 

2,737 

2,758 

2,779 

21 

2,800 

2,821 

2,842 

2,864 

2,885 

2,907 

2,928 

2,950 

2,971 

2,993 

22 

3,015 

3,037 

3,059 

3.081 

3,103 

3,125 

3,147 

3,170 

3,192 

3,214 

23 

3,237 

3,260 

3,282 

3,305 

3,328 

3,351 

3,374 

3,397 

3,420 

3,443 

24 

3,467 

3,490 

3,514 

3,537 

3,561 

3,584 

3,608 

3,633 

3,656 

3,680 

25 

3,704 

3,728 

3,752 

3,776 

3,801 

3,825 

3,850 

3,874 

3,899 

3,923 

26 

3,948 

3,973 

3,998 

4,023 

4,048 

4.073 

4,098 

4,124 

4,149 

4,175 

27 

4,200 

4,226 

4,251 

4,277 

4,303 

4,329 

4,355 

4,381 

4,407 

4,433 

28 

4,459 

4,486 

4,512 

4,539 

4,565 

4,59a 

4,618 

4,645 

4,672 

4,699 

29 

4,726 

4,753 

4,780 

4,707 

4,835 

4,862 

4,890 

4,9  L7 

4,945 

4,972 

30 

5,000 

5,028 

5,056 

5,084 

5.112 

5,140 

5,168 

5,196 

5,225 

5,253 

31 

5,281 

5,310 

5,339 

5,367 

5;396 

5,425 

5,454 

5,483 

5,512 

5,541 

32 

'5,570 

5,600 

5,629 

5,659 

5,688 

5,718 

5,747 

5,777 

5,807 

5,437 

33 

5,867 

5,897 

5,927 

5,957 

5,987 

6,018 

6,048 

6,079 

6s  109 

6,140 

34 

6,170 

6,201 

6,232 

6,263 

6,294 

6,325 

6,356 

6>387 

6,419 

6.450 

35 

6,481 

6,513 

6,545 

6,576 

6,608 

6,640 

6,672 

6,704 

6,736 

6,768 

36 

6,800 

6,832 

6,865 

6,897 

6,930 

6,962 

6,995 

7,027 

7,060 

7,093 

37 

7,126 

7,159 

7,192 

7,225 

7,258 

7,292 

7,325 

7,359 

7,392 

7,426 

38 

7,459 

7,493 

7,527 

7,561 

7,595 

7,629 

7,663 

7,697 

7,631 

7,766 

39 

7,800 

7,835 

7,869 

7,904 

7,938 

7,973 

8,008 

8,043 

8,078 

8,113 

40 

8,148 

8,183 

8,219 

8,254 

8,290 

8,325 

8,361 

8,396 

8,432 

-8,468 

41 

8,504 

8,540 

8,576 

8,612 

8,648 

8,684 

8,72V 

8,757 

8,794 

8,830 

42 

8,867 

8,903 

8,940 

8,977 

9,014 

9,051 

9,088 

9,125 

9,152 

9,200 

43 

9,237 

9,275 

9,312 

9,350 

9,387 

9,425 

9;463 

9;501 

9,539 

9,577 

44 

9,615 

9,653 

9,691 

9,730 

9,768 

9,807 

9,845 

9,884 

9,922 

9,961 

45 

10,000 

10,039 

10,078 

10,117 

U),156 

10,195 

10,235 

10,274110,314 

10,.353 

46 

10,393 

10,432 

10,4'» 

10,512 

10,552 

10,592 

10,632 

10,672j  10,712 

10,752 

47 

10,793 

10,833 

10;874 

10,914 

10,955 

10,995 

11,036, 

ll,077jll,ll8 

11,159 

48 

11,200 

11.241 

11,282 

11,324 

11,365 

11,407 

11,4.48 

11,490  11,531 
11,91011,952 

11,573 

49 

11,615 

11,657 

11,699 

ri,741 

11,783 

11.825 

11,867 

11,994 

50 

12,037 

12,080 

12,122 

12,165 

12,208 

12,251 

12,294 

12,337  12i380 

12,423 

51 

12,467 

12,510 

12,554 

12,597 

12^641 
135081 

12,684 

12,728 

12,772 

12;816 

12,860 

52 

12,904 

12,948 

r2,992 

13,036 

13,125 

13,170 

13,214 

13,259 

13,303 

53 

13,348 

13,393 

13,438 

13,483 

13,528 

13,573 

13,618 

13,664 

13,709 

13.755 

54 

13,800 

13,846 

13,891 

13,937 

13,983 

14,029 

14,075 

M.Kl  14,167 

14,213 

55 

14,259 

14,306 

14,352 

14,399 

14,445 

14,492 

14,538 

14,585  14,632 

14,679 

^. 

14,726 

14,773 

I4y820 

14,867 

14,915 

14.962 

15,010 

15,057 

15,105 

15,152 

si 

15,200 

15,248 

15,2% 

15,344 

15,392 

15;440 

15,488 

15,536 

15.585 

15,6;« 

58 

15,681 

15,730 

15,779 

15,827 

15,876 

15,925 

15,974 

16,023 

16,072 

16,121 

59 

16,170 

16,220 

16,269 

16,319 

16,368 

16,418 

16,467 

16,517 

16,567 

16,617 

60'16,667I16,717I  16,767 

16,817116,868I16,918116,968'17,018I17,069I17,120| 

i 


T  AB  LE  No.  IX. 

SLOPE  1  TO  1. 
C0NTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  18  FEET. 


1 


"« 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

•7 

•8 

9 

& 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

C.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

e.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

~b 

0 

.     7 

13 

20 

27 

34 

41 

48 

56 

63 

1 

70 

78 

85 

93 

101 

108 

116 

124 

132 

140 

,2 

148 

156 

165 

173 

181 

190 

198 

207 

216 

224 

3 

233 

242 

251 

260 

270 

279 

288 

297 

307 

316 

4 

326 

336 

345 

355 

365 

375 

385 

395 

405 

416 

6 

426 

436 

447 

457 

468 

479 

490 

500 

511 

522 

6 

533 

545 

556 

567 

578 

5% 

601 

613 

625 

636 

7 

648 

660 

672 

684 

696 

708 

721 

733 

745 

758 

8 

770 

783 

796 

809 

821 

834 

847 

860 

874 

887 

9 

900 

913 

927 

940 

954 

968 

981 

995 

1,009 

1,023 

10 

1,037 

1,051 

1,065 

1,080 

1,094 

1,108 

1,123 

1,137 

1,152 

1,167 

11 

1,181 

1,196 

1,211 

1,226 

1,241 

1,257 

1,272 

1,287 

1,302 

1,318 

12 

1,333 

1,349 

1,365 

1,380 

1,396 

1,412 

1,428 

1,444 

1,460 

1,476 

13 

1,493 

1,509 

1,525 

1,542 

1,55^ 

1,575 

1,592 

1,609 

1,625 

1,642 

14 

1,659 

1,676 

1,694 

1,711 

1,728 

1,745 

1,763 

1,780 

1,798 

1,816 

15 

1,833 

1,851 

1,869 

1,887 

1,905 

1,923 

1,941 

1,960 

1,978 

1,996 

16 

2,015 

2,033 

2,052 

2,071 

2,090 

2,108 

2,127 

2,146 

2,165 

2,185 

17 

2,204 

2,223 

2,242 

2,262 

2,281 

2,301 

2,321 

2,340 

2,360 

2,380 

18 

2,400 

2,420 

2,440 

2,460 

2,481 

2,501 

2,521 

2,542 

2,562 

2,583 

19 

2,604 

2,625 

2,645 

2,666 

2,687 

2,708 

2,730 

2,751 

2,772 

2,793 

20 

2,815 

2,836 

2,858 

2,880 

2,901 

2,923 

2,945 

2,%7 

2,989 

3,011 

21 

3,033 

3,056 

3,078 

3,100 

3,123 

3,145 

3,168 

3,191 

3,214 

3,236 

22 

3,259 

3,2§2 

3,305 

3,328 

3,351 

3,375 

3,398 

3,422 

3,445 

3,469 

23 

3,493 

3,516 

3,540 

3,564 

3,598 

3,622 

3,646 

3,670 

3,697 

3,721 

24 

3,733 

3,758 

3,782   3,807 

3,832 

3,857 

3,881 

3,906 

3,931 

3,956 

25 

3,981 

4,007 

4,032   4,057 

4,083 

4,108 

4,134 

4,160 

4,185 

4,211 

26 

4,237 

4,263 

4,289   4,315 

4,341 

4,368 

4,394 

4,420 

4,447 

4,473 

^ 

4,500 

4,527 

4,554 

4,580 

4,607 

4,634 

4,661 

4,689 

4,716 

4,743 

28 

4,770 

4,798 

4,825 

4,853 

4,881 

4,908 

4,936 

4,964 

4,992 

5,020 

29 

5,048 

5,076 

5,105 

5,133 

5,161 

5,190 

5,218 

5,247 

5,276 

5,305 

30 

5,333 

5,362 

5,391 

5,430 

5,450 

5,479 

5,508 

5,537 

5,567 

5,596 

31 

5,626 

5,656 

5,685 

5,715 

5,745 

5,775 

5,805 

5,835 

5,865 

5,896 

32 

5,926 

5,956 

5,987 

6,017 

6,048 

6,079 

6,110 

6,140 

6,171 

6,203 

33 

6,233 

6,265 

6,2% 

6,327 

6,358 

6,3% 

6,421 

6,453 

6,485 

6,516 

34 

6,548 

6,580 

ft,6l2 

6,644 

6,676 

6,708 
7,034 

6,741 

6,773 

6,805 

6,838 

35 

6,870 

6,903 

6,936 

6,969 

7,001 

7,067 

7,100 

7,134 

7,167 

36 

7,200 

7,233 

7,267 

7,300 

7,334 

7,368 

7,401 

7,435 

7,469 

7,503 

37 

7,537 

7,571 

7,605    7,640 

7,674 

7,708 

7,743 

7,777 

7,812 

7,847 

38 

7,881 

7,916 

7,951    7,986 

8,021 

8,057 

8,092 

8,127 

8,162 

8,198 

39 

8,233 

8,269 

8,305   8,340 

8,376 

8,412 

8,448 

8,484 

8,520 

8,556 

40 

8,592 

8,629 

8,665   8,702 

8,738 

8,775 

8,812 

8,849 

8,885 

8,922 

41 

8,959 

8,9% 

9,034 

9,071 

9,108 

9,145 

9,183 

9,230 

9,258 

9,296 

42 

9,333 

9,371 

9,409 

9,447 

9,485 

9,523 

9,561 

9,600 

9,638 

9,676 

43 

9,715 

9,753 

9,792';  9,831 

9,870 

9,908 

9,947 

9,986 

10,025 

10,065 

44 

10,104 

10,143 

10,182  10,222 

10,261 

10,301 

10,341 

10,380 

10,420 

10,460 

45 

10,500 

10,540 

10,580  10,620 

10,660 

10,701 

10,741 

10,782 

10,822 

10,863 

46 

10,904 

10,9^15 

10,98511,026 

11,067 

11,108 

11,150 

11,191 

11,232 

11,273 

47 

11,315 

11,356 

11,39(^11.440 

11,481 

11,523 

11,565 

11,607 

11,649 

11,691 

48 

11,733 

11,776 

ll,8l8|ir,860 

11,903 

11,945 

11,988 

12,031 

12,074 

12,116 

49 

12,159 

12,201 

12  244112,288 

12,331 

12,374 

12,417 

12,462 

12,505 

12,549 

50 

12,593 

12,636 

I2;680i  12,724 

12,768 

12,812 

12,856 

12,900 

12,945 

12,989 

51 

13,033 

13,078 

13,12213,167 

13,212 

13,257 

13,301 

13,346 

13,391 

13,436 

52 

13,482 

13,527 

13,572 

13,617 

13,66S 

13,708 

13,754 

13,800 

13,846 

13,891 

53 

13,937 

13,983 

14,029 

14,075 

14,121 

14,168 

14,214 

14,260 

14,307 

14,353 

54 

14,400 

14,447 

14,494 

14,540 

14,587 

14,634 

14,681 

14,729 

14,776 

14,823 

55 

14,870 

14,918 

14,965 

15,013 

15,061 

15,108 

15,156 

15,204 

15,252 

15,300 

56 

15,348 

15,396 

15,445 

15,493 

15,541 

15,590 

15,638 

15,687 

15,736 

15,785 

57 

15,833 

15,88-2 

15,931 

15,980 

16,030 

16,079 

16,128 

16,177 

16,227 

16,276 

58 

16,336 

16,376 

16,425 

16,475 

16,525 

16,575 

16,625 

16,675 

16,725 

16,776 

59 

16,826 

16,876 

16,926 

16,977 

17,028 

17,079 

17,130 

17,180 

17,231 
17,745 

17,288 

60 

17,333 

17,384 

17,436 

17,487 

17,538 

17,590 

17,641 

17,693 

17,796 

.     TABLE     No.     X .      . 

SLOPE    1    TO    1. 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  25  FEET; 


0 

c.  yd». 


2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
221 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 


47 
48 

50 
51 


54 
55 
56 
57 

58 
59 


0 
96 
200 
311 
430 
556 
689 
830 
978 
1,133 
^296 
1,467 
1,644 
1,830 
2,022 
2,222 
2,430 
2,644 
2,867 
3,096 
3,333 
3,578 
3,830 
4,089 
4,356 
4,630 
4,911 
5,200 
5,49(i 
5,800 
6,111 
6,430 
6,756 
7,089 
7,480 
7,778 
8,133 
8,496 
8,867 
9,244 
9,629 


1 

c.  yd». 


10,022  10,062 


10,422 
10,830 
11,244 
11,667 
46)12,096 
12,533 
12,978 
13,430 
13,889 
14.356 


5214,83014,87 


5315,311 


9 
106 
211 
323 
442 
569 
703 
844 
993 
1,149 
1,313 
1,484 
1,663 
1,849 
2,042 
2,243 
2,451 
2,666 
2,889 
3,120 
3,357 
3,603 
3,855 
4,115 
4,383 
4,657 
4,940 
5,229 
5,526 
5,831 
6,143 
6,462 
6,789 
7,123 
7,464 
7,813 
8,169 
8,533 
8,904 
9,283 
9,669 


2 

c.  yds. 


10,463 
10,871 
11,286 
11,709 
12,140 
12,577 
13,023 
13,475 
13,935 
14,403 


3 

c.  yd*. 


15,800  15,849 


16.296 


16,800  16,851 


17,311 
17,830 
18,356 


e0il8,889 


15,360 


16,346 


17,363 
17,882 
18,409 
18,943 


19 
116 

222 

334 

454 

582 

716 

859 

1,008 

1,165 

1,330 

1,502 

1.681 

1,868 

2,062 

2,263 

2,472 

2,688 

2,912 

3,143 

3,381 

3,628 

3,881 

4,142 

4,410 

4,685 

4,968 

5,259 

5,556 

5,862 

6,174 

6,494 

6,822 

7,156 

7,499 

7,848 

8,205 

8,570 

8,942 

9,321 

9,708 

10,102 

10,503 

10,912 

11,328 

11,752 

12,183 

12,622 

13,068 

13,521 

13,982 

14,450 

14,925 

15,408 

15,899 

16,396 

16,9()2 

17,414 

17,934 

18,462 

18,996 


4 

c  yds. 


28 

127 

233 

346 

467 

595 

730 

873 

1,024 

1,181 

1,347 

1,519 

1,699 

1,887 

2,081 

2,-^4 

2,493 

2,711 

2,935 

3,167 

3,406 

3,653 

3,907 

4,168 

4,437 

4,713 

4,997 

5,288 

5,586 

5,893 

6,206 

6,527 

6,855 

7,190 

7,533 

7,884 

8,241 

8,607 

8,979 

9,359 

9,747 

10,141 

10,544 

10,953 

11,370 

11,795 

12,227 

12,666 

13,113 

13,567 

14,028 

14,497 

14,973 

15,457 

15,948 

16,447 

16,953 

17,466 

17,987 

18,515 

19,050 


38 
137 
244 
358 
479 
608 
744 


D 

c.  yds. 


1.039 

1^198 

1,364 

1,537 

1,718 

1,906 

2,101 

2,394 

2,515 

2,733 

2,958 

3,190 

3,430 

3,678 

3,932 

4,195 

4,464 

4,741 

5,026 

5,318 

5,617 

5,924 

6,238 

6,559 

6,888 

7,224 

7,568 

7,919 

8,278 

8,644 

9,017 

9,398 

9,786 

10,181 

10,584 

10,995 

11,412 

11,837 

12.270 

12,710 

13,158 

13,612 

14,075 

14,544 

15,021 

15,506 

15.998 

16;497 

17,004 

17,518 

18,039 

19,568 

19,104 


6 

c.yds. 


47 

147 

255 

369 

^2 

621 

758 

903 

1,055 

1,214 

1,381 

1,555 

1,736 

1,925 

2,121 

2,325 

2,536 

2,756 

2,981 

3,214 

3,455 

3,703 

3,958 

4,221 

4,492 

4,769 

5,055 

5.347 

5,647 

5,955 

6,'269 

6,592 

6,921 

7,258 

7,603 

7,955 

8,314 

8,681 

9,055 

9,436 

9,825 

10,221 

10,625 

11,036 

11,45^ 

11,880 

12.314 

12-55 

13,203 

13,658 

14,121 

14.592 

15,069 

15,555 

16,047 

16,547 

17,055 

17,569 

18,092 

18,621 

19,158 


•7 

c.  yds. 


57 

158 

266 

381 

504 

635 

772 

918 

1,070 

1,230 

1,398 

1,572 

1.755 

1,944 

2,141 

2,346 

2,558 

2,778 

3,004 

3,238 

3,479 

3,728 

3,984 

4,248 

4,519 

4,798 

5,084 

5,377 

5,678 

5.986 

6,301 

6,624 

6,955 

7,292 

7,638 

7,990 

8,350 

8,718 

9,092 

9,475 

9,864 

10,261 

10,666 

11,078 

11,49' 

11,923 

12,358 

12,799 

13,248 

13.704 

14,168 

14,639 

15,118 

15,604 

16,09 

16,598 

17,106 

17,621 

18,144 

18.675 

19,212 


•8 

c.  yds. 


66 

168 

277 

393 

517 

648 

787 

933 

1,086 

1,247 

1,415 

1,590 

1,773 

1,964 

2,161 

2,367 

2,579 

2,800 

3,027 

3,261 

3,504 

3,753 

4,010 

4,275 

4,547 

4,826 

5,113 

5,407 

5,708 

6,017 

6,333 

6,657 

6,988 

7,327 

7,673 

8,026 

8,387 

8,755 

9,130 

9.513 

9:904 

10,301 

10,707 

11,119 

11.539 

11,966 

12,401 

12,844 

13,293 

is; 

14, 

14,68' 

15,166 

15,653 

16,147 

16,648 

17,157 

17;6T3 

18,197 

18,728 

19,26' 


9 

c.yds. 


76 

179 

288 

405 

530 

662 

801 

948 

1,102 

1,263 

1,432 

1,608 

1,792 

1,983 

2,182 

2,388 

2,601 

2,822 

3,050 

3,285 

3,528 

3,779 

4,036 

4,302 

4,574 

4,854 

5,142 

5,436 

5,739 

6,048 

6,365 

6,690 

7,022 

7,361 

7,708 

8,062 

8,423 

8,792 

9,168 

9.552 

9i943 

10,342 

10,748 

11,161 

11.582 

12.010 

12;445 

12,888 

13.339 

13,796 

14,262 

14;734 

15,214 

15,702 

16,1% 

16,699 

17,208 

17.725 

18,250 

18.782 

19:321 


86 

189 

300 

417 

543 

675 

815 

963 

1,117 

1,280 

1,449 

1,696 

1,811 

2,003 

2,202 

2,409 

2,623 

2,844 

3,073 

3,309 

3,553 

3,804 

4,063 

4,339 

4,6(B 

4,883 

5,171 

5,466 

5,769 

6,060 

6,397 

6,723 

7,065 

7,396 

7,748 

8,097 

8,460 

8,829 

9,906 

9,591 

9,983 

10,382 

10,788 

11,208 

11,624 

12,053 

12.489 

12;933 

13,384 

13,843 

14;309 

14,782 

15,203 

15,751 

16,246 

16,749 

17,260 

17,777 

18,303 

18,835 

19,375 


TABLE     No.     XI. 

Si^OPE     1    TO    1.  •-■  ' 

eONTEN'T  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTH8,  BABE  28  FEKT. 


I 


I 
0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7J 

8 

9 

10 

11 

13 

13 

14 

,15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

J» 

121 


24 
35 

26 
27 
.^ 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
136 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 


c.  yds. 


0 

107 

222 

344 

474 

611 

756 

907 

1,067 

1,233 

1,407 

.1,589 

1,778 

1,974 

2,178 

2,389 

2,607 

2,833 

3,067 

3,307 

3,556 

3,811 

4,074 

4,344 

4,622 

4,907 

5,200 

5,500 

5,807 

6,122 

6,444 

6,774 

7,111 

7,456 

7,807 

8,167 

8,533 

8,907 

9,289 

9;678 

10,074 

10,478 

10;889 

11,307 

11,733 

12,167 

12,607 

13,056 

13,511 

13,974, 

14,444 

14,922 

15,407 

re,9oo 

16,400 
1^,907 
,422 


1 

2 

c.  yd«. 

c.  yds. 

10 

21 

119 

130 

234 

246 

357 

370 

487 

501 

625 

639 

770 

785 

923 

939 

1,083 

1,099 

1,250 

1,268 

1,425 

1,443 

1,607 

1,626 

1,797 

1,816 

1,994 

2,014 

2,199 

2,219 

2,410 

2,432 

2,630 

2,652 

2,856 

2,879 

3,090 

3,114 

3,332 

3,356 

3,581 

3,606 

3,837 

3,863 

4,101- 

4,128 

4,372 

4,399 

4,650 

4,679 

4,936 

4,965 

55230 

5,260 

5,530 

5,561 

5^839 

5,870 

6,154 

6,186 

6,477 

tt,510 

6,807 

6,841 

7,145 

7,179 

7,490 

7,525 

7,843 

7,879 

8,203 

8,239 

8,570 

8,608 

8,945 

8,983 

9,327 

9,366 

9,717 

9,756 

10,114 

10,154 

10,519 

10,559 

10,930 

10,972 

11,360|  11,392 
11,77611,819 
12,21012,254 
12,65212.696 
I3,r0l|l3,146 
13,55713,603 
14,02114,068 
14,4$2i  14,539 
14,970,15,019 
15,456  15,505 
15,95015,999 
16,45016,501 
16,959  17,010 


56  n,422  17,474  17,526  17,578 


571  n,l»44  17,997, 18,050 

18,.527' 18,581 
19,065  I'MIO 


18,474 

r9',oii 

19,536 19,610  l».660il9,720 


3 

c.  yds. 


31 

141 

258 

383 

514 

664 

800 

954 

1,116 

1,285 

1,461 

1,645 

1,836 

2,034 

2,240 

2,454 

2,674 

2,903 

3,138 

3,381 

3,631 

3,889 

4,154 

4,427 

4,707 

4,994 

5,289 

5,59H 

5,901 

6,218 

6,542 

6,874 

7,2U 

7,560 

7,914 

8,276 

8,645 

9,021 

9,405 

9,796 

10,194 

10,600 

11,014 

11,434 

11,863 

12,298 

12,741 

13,191 

13,649 

14,114 

14,587 

15,067 

15,554 

16,049 

16,551 

17,061 


18,103 
lfl,a34 
19,174 


4 

c.  yds. 


42 
152 

270 

395 

528 

668 

815 

970 

1,132 

1,302 

1,479 

1,664 

1,855 

2/)55 

2,261 

2,475 

2,697 


2,926   2,949 


3,167 

3j406 

3^657 

3,915 

4,181 

4,455 

4,735 

5,024 

5319 

5,6^ 

5v932 

e<Q50 

6,5*75 

6,908 

7,248 

7,595 

7,950 

8,312 

8,682 

9^^059 

^,444 

9,835 

10,235 

10,641 

11,055 

11,477 

11,906 

12,342 

12,786 

13,237 

13,695 

H,l6l 

14,635 

15,115 

15,604 


5 

.  yds. 


53 
164 
282 

408 

54? 

682 

831 

986 

1,149 

1319 

1,497 

1,682 

1,875 

2,075 

2,282 

2,497 

2,719 


3,186 
3,431 
3,682 
3,942 
4,208 
4,482 
4,764 
5,053 
5,349 
5,653 
5,964 
6,282 
6,608 
6,942 
7,282 
7,631 
7,986 
8,349 
8,719 
9,097 
9,'492 
9,875 
10,275 
10,682' 
ll,097i 
11,519- 

11,949: 

12,386, 
12,831 
13,282 
13,742 
14,208 
14,682 
15,164 
15,653 


6 

,yd^ 


63 

175 

295 

421 

555 

69 

846 

1,002 

1,166 

1,337 

1,515 

1,701 

1,895 

2,095 

2304 


2;5ia   2,542 


2,742 
2,972 
3,210 
3,455 
3,708 
3,968 
4,235 


4,510  4,538 


16,099,16,149 
16,602fl6;€53 
17;  112!  17, 164 
17,630,17,682 
18,155' 18,208 
18,688' 18,742- 
19,228!  19;282 
19,775  19,831 


4,792 

5,082 

5,379 

5,684 

5;995 

6315 

6,«41 

6,975 

7,347 

7,666 

8,022 

8y386 

8,757 

9,136 

9,521 

9,915 

10315 

10,724 

11,139 

11,562 

11,992 

12,430 

12,875 

13,328 

13,788 

14,255 

14,730 

15,212 

15,702 

16,199 

16,704 

17,215 

17,735 

18,261 


•7 

,  yd*. 


74 

187, 

306 

434 

989., 

711 

861 

1,018 

1,183 

1,354 

1,534 

1,720 

1,914 

2,116 

2.325 


2,765 
2,996 
3,234 
3,480 
3,734 
3,994 
4,263 


4,821 
5,111 
5,409 
5,714 
6,027 
6,347 
6,674 
7,009 
7,351 
7,701 


■8 

c.  yds. 


85 

199 
319 
448 
583 
726 
876 
1,034 
1,199 
1,372 
1,552 
1,739 
1,934 
2,136 
2,346 
2,563 
2,788 
3,019 
3,259 
3,505 
3,759 
4,021 
4^290 
4,666 
4,850 
5,141 
5,439 
5,745 


6:379 
6,707 
7,043 
7,386 
7,736 


8,058f  8,094 


8,423 
8,794 
9,173 
9,560 
9,954 


8,459 
8,832 


9,994 
10,35610,39610,437 
I0,765'i0,806i0,847 
11,181^11,223  11,26* 
11,60511,64811,690 
12,036  12,079  12,123 
12,474  12,519  12,563 
12,920  12,965  13,010 
13,374  13,419  13,466 
13,83*  13,881  13,927 
14,303  14,350  14,397 
14,778  14,826  14,875 
15,261  15,310  15,359 
15,751  16,801  15,850 
16,249  16,299  16,350 
16,75416,80516,856 


c.  yds. 


96 

210 

332 

461 

597 

741 

892 

1,050 

1,216 

1,390 

1,570 

1,759 

1,954 

2,157 

2367 

2,585 

2,810 

3,043 

3,283 

3,630 

3,785 

4,047 

4317 

4,694 

4,879 

5,170 

5,470 

5,776 


6,069  6,090 


6,413 
6,741 
7,077 
7,421 

7,772 
8.130 
8;49S 
8,870 


9,212  9,258 

9,599   9,639 

10,034 


17,267  17,319  17,370 
17,787 17,839  17,892 
18,314  18,368  18,421 
I8,795ii8;849  18,903;  18,957 
19,337,19,391  19,446119,501 
19,886  19,941  19,99620,062 


.4... . 


i:^^;'-'' .,' 


i^-. 


yif -^/^X      '^^.-*t<*' »^-»..  ^»-5?-«^.-*r 


^<^^  /^\ 


"^ 


/ 


»*ai«>rt>it»n«(f^^s5S«i*1^i^^>»*>.w<a**fc^*ff^ 


*'\..Li:-^<':g*<htt%^ifc>i.^>^*i«.S-4fci*>to"gt.-f    -■    ''.-j.'.va&<'W«>  ^*>A>^ 


f 


1 


TABLE     No.     XII. 

.:;^;-.  =i.  SLOPE     I    TO   1. 

CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  30  FEET. 


■A 
I 

0 

1 

3 
3 
4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 

21 

^ 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

4718 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 

58 

59 

€0 


O 

.yd.. 


1 

rds. 


0 

115 

237 

367 

504 

648 

800 

959 

1,126 

1,300 

1,481 

1,670 

1,867 

2,070 

2,281 

2,500 

2,726 

2,959 

3,200 

3,448 

3,703 

3,966 

4,237 

4,515 


4;8eQ  4,829 


5,092 
5,392 
5,700 
6,015 
6,337 
6,666 
7,004 
7,348 


8,426 

8,800 

9,181 

9,570 

9,967 

10,370 

10,781 

11,360 

11,626 

12,059 

12,500 

13,948 

1,404 

13,667 

14,337 

14,815 

15,300 

15,793 

16,293 

16,800 

17,315 

17,837 

18,367 

18,904 

19,448 


•2 

c.  ydi. 


11 

127 

250 

380 

518 

663 

816 

976 

1,143 

1,318 

1,500 

1,690 

1.887 

2,091 

2,303 

2,&22 

2,749 

2,983 

3,224 

3,473 

3,729 

3,993 

4,264 

4,543 


5,122 
5,423 
5,731 
6;047 
6,369 
6,700 
7,038 
7,383 


7,700  7,736 
8,eS9  8,096 


8,463 

•8,888 

9,220 

9,610 

10,007 

10,411 

10,823 


11,669 
12,103 
12,544 
12,993 
13,450 
13,913 
14,384 
14,863 
15,349 
15,842 
16,343 
16,851 
17,367 
17,890 
18,430 
18,958 
19,903 


90,000(20,056 


3 

yds. 


22 
139 
^2 
393 
532 
«78 
831 
992 
1,160 
1,336 
1,519 
1,709 
1,907 
2,112 
2,325 
2,544 
2,772 
3,007 
3,249 
3,498 
3,756 
4,020 
4,292 
4,571 
4,858 
5,152 
5,453 
5,762 
6,079 
6,402 
6,733 
7,072 
7,418 
7,771 
8,132 
8,500 
8,876 
9,259 
9,649 


4 


34 
151 

275 
407 
546 
693 
847 
1,008 
1,177 
1,354 
1,537 
1,729 
1,927 
2,133 
2,346 
2,567 
2,795 
3,031 
3,273 
3,524 
3,782 
4,047 
4,319 
4,599 
4,887 
5,182 
5,484 
5,793 
6,111 
6,435 
6,767 
7,106 
7,453 
7,807 
8,168 
8,537 
8,914 
9,279 
9,688 


10,047|  10,087 
10,452  10,493 
10,865 1 10,906 


11,242  ll,285ill,327 


11,71211,755 
12,147,12,191 
12,589  12,634 
13,039  13,084 
13,496  13,542 
13,960 14,007 
14,432 14,480 
14,91214,960 
15,398  15,447 
15,892  15,942 
16,393  16,444 
16,902  16,954 
17,419  17,471 
17,942 17.995 
18,473  18;527 
19,012 19,066 
19,558 19,€13 
30,11120,167 


45 

163 

288 

421 

561 

708 

863 

1,025 

1,195 

1,372 

1,556 

1,748 

1,947 

2,154 

2,368 

2,589 

2,818 

3,054 

3,298 

3,549 

3,808 

4,074 

4^7 

4,628 

4,916 

5,212 

5,514 

5,825 

6,143 

6,468 

6,801 

7,141 

7,488 

7,843 

8,205 

8,575 

8,951 

9,336 

9,728 

10,127 

10,534 

10,948 

11,369 

11,798 

12,235 

12,678 

13,129 

13,588 

14,054 

14,527 

15,008 

15,496 

15,1' 

16,495 

17,005 

17,528 

18,048 

18,581 

19,121 

19,678 

90, 


99216 


933130 


5 

.  yds. 


6 

c.yds. 


56 

175 

301 

434 

575 

723 

879 

1,042 

1,212 

1,390 

1,575 

1,768 

1,968 

2,175 

2,390 

2,612 

2,842 

3,079 

3,323 

3,575 

3,834 

4,101 

4,375 

4,656 

4,945 

5,242 

5,856 
6,175 
6,500 
6,834 
7,175 
7;5-23 
7,^79 
8,242 
8,612 
8,990 
9,375 
9,768} 


•7 

c.yds. 


68» 
I8r7 
314 
448 
589 
738 
895 

1,058 

1,229 

1,408 

1,594 

1,787 

1,988 

2,196 

2,412 

2,634 

2,865 

3,103 

3,348 

3,601 

3,860 

4,128 

4,403 

4,685 

4,974 

5,272 

5,576 

5,888 

6,207 

6,534 

6,868 

7,209 

7,558 

7,915 

8,278 

8,649 

9,028 

9,414 

9  807 
10,168|10,'208 
10,57510,616 
I0,990jll,032 
11,442,11,455 
11,84211,8® 
12,279:12,323 
12,723  12,768 
13,275,13,821 
13,63413,681 
14,101 ;  14,148 
14,575  14,623 
15,056  15,105 
15,545  15,595 
,041 16,092 
16,54516,596 
17,<»6  17,108 
17,57517,627 
18,101118,15418,307 
18,63418,68818,"  ' 
19,175 19,230 19,384 
19,72319,77819,834 
,279  90,335130^1 


79 

199 

327 

462 

604 

754 

911 

1,075 

1,247 

1,426 

1,613 

1,807 

2,008 

2,217 

2,434 

2,657 

2,888 

3,127 

3.373 

3,626 

3,887 

4,155 

4,431 

4,713 

5,004 

5,302 

5,607 

5,919 

6,239 

6,567 

6,902 

7,244 

7,594 

7,951 

8,315 

8,687 

9,066 

9,453 

9,84'^ 

10,248 

10,657 

11,074 

11,497 

11,928 

12.367 

12;S13 

13,466 

13,727 

14,195 

14,671 

15,154 

15,644 

16,142 

16,647 

17,160 

17,680 


74218; 


-8 

c.  yds. 


91 

212 

340 

476 

619 

769 

927 

1,092 

L265 

1,445 

1,632 

1,827 

2,029 

2,239 

2,456 

2,680 

2,912 

3,151 

3,398 

3,652 

3,913 

4,182 

4,458 

4,742 

5,033 

5,332 

5,638 

5,951 

6,272 

6,600 

6,936 

7,2r79 

7,629 

7,987 

8,352 

8,725 

9,105 

9,492 

9,887 

10,289 

10,699 

11,116 

11,540 

11,972 

12,411 

12,858 

13,512 

13,773 

14,-  - 

14,719 

15,202 

15,693 

16,192 

l6,-698 

17,211 

17,732 

18,! 

I9,a39 
19.889 


,26018 


•9 

•  ydfc 


24214 


103 

234 

353 

490 

633 

784 

943 

1,109 

1,289 

1,463 

1,651 

1,847 

2,050 

2,260 

2,478 

2,703 

2,936 

3,175 

3,423 

3,678 

3,940 

4,209 

4,486 

4,771 

5,063 

5,363 

5,669 

5,983 

6,304 

6,633 

6,970 

7,313 

7,664 

8,033 

8,389 

8,763 

9,143 

9,531 

9,937 

10,330 

10,740 

11,158 

11,583 

12,016 

12,456 

12,903 

13,558 

13,820 

,390 

14,767 

15,351 

15,743 

16,342 

16,749 

17,363 

17,785 

,313 

18,650 

19,393 

19,944 


30,447190,508 


■  -.-.-'■.■T.:   -A   ."  . 


■■s>t' 


.     :,    TABLE     No.     XIII. 

SLOPE     1     TO    1. 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  34  FEET. 


0 
1 
2 

3 

4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
.18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
371 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 


c.  yds. 


0 

130 

267 

411 

573 

722 

889 

1,063 

1,244 

1,433 

1,630 

1,833 

2,041 

2,263 

2,489 

2,722 

2,963 

3,211 

3,467 

3,730 

4,000 

4,298 

4,563 

4,856 

5,156 

5,463 

5,778 

6,100 

6,430 

6,767 

7,111 

7,463 

7,822 

8,189, 

8,563 

8,914 

9,333 

9,730 

10,133 

10,544 

10,963 

11,389 

11,822 

12,263 

12,711 

13,167 

13,630 

14,100 

14,578 

15,063 

15,556 

16,056 

16,563 

17,078 

17,600 

18,130 

18,667 

19,211 

19,763 

20,322 


6020.889120, 


1 

c.  yds. 

~~T3 
143 

281 

426 

589 

739 

906 

1,081 

1,263 

1,453 

1,650 

1,854 

2,066 

2,285 

2,512 

2,746 

2,987 

3,236 

3,493 

3,756 

4,027 

4,306 

4,592 

4,885 

5,186 

5,494 

5,810 

6,133 

6,463 

6,801 

7,146 

7,499 

7,859 

8,226 

8,601 

8,983 

9,373 

9,770 

10,174 

10,586 

11,005 

11,432 

11,866 

12,307 

12,756 

13,213 

13,676 

14,147 

14,626 

1.5,112 

15,605 

16,106 

16,614 

17,130 

17,653 

I8,ia3 

18,721 

19,266 

19,819 

20,379 

,946 


2 

,  yds. 


3 

».  ydii. 


25 

•1^6 
2)5 
441 
604 
755 
923 

1,099 

1,282 

1,472 

1,670 

1,875 

2,088 

2,308 

2,535 

2,770 

3,012 

3,262 

3,519 

3,783 

4,055 

4,334 

4,621 

4,915 

5,216 

5,525 

5,842 

6,165 

6,496 

6,835' 

7,181 

7,534 

7,895 

8,263 

8,639, 

9,022' 

9,412! 

9,810 
10,21510,256 
10,628  10,669 
11,048  11,090 
11,475  11,518 
11,91011,954 
12,352  12,397 
12,802  12,847 
13,259  13,305 
13,723  13,770 
14,195  14,243 
14,674  14,733 
15,161  1.5,210 
15,655  15,705 
16,156  16,207] 
16,66516,7171 
17,182  17,234| 
17,70517,758 
18,23618,290 
18,775  18,829 
19,321  19,376 
19,874  19,930j 
20,435  20,491 
21,003  21.060; 


38 
170 
309 
456 
620 
771 
940 
1,117 
1,300 
1,491 
1,'690 
1,896 
2,109 
2,330 
2,558 
2,794 
3,037 
3,287 
3,545 
3,810 
4,083 
4,363 
4,650 
4,945 
5,247 
5,557 
5,874 
6,198 
6,530 
6,869 
7,216 
7,570 
7,931 
8,300 
8,677 
9,060 
9,451 
9,850 


4 

c.  yds. 


Sir 

184 

324 

471 

636 

788 

958 

1,135 

1,319 

1,511 

1,710 

1,917 

2,131 

2,352 

2,581 

2,818 

3,061 

3,312 

3,571 

3,837 

4,110 

4,391 

4,679 

4,975 

5,278 

5,588 

5,906 

6,231 

6,564 

6,904 

7,251 

7,606 

7,968 

8,338 

8,715 

9,099 

9,491 

9,890 

10,297 

10,711 

11,132 

11,561 

11,998 

12,441 

12892 

13,351 


5 

yds. 


64 

197 

338 

486 

652 

805 

975 

1,153 

1,338 

1,531 

1,731 

1,938 

2,153 

2,375 

2,605 

2,842 

3,086 

3,338 

3,597 

3,864 

4,138 

4,319 

4,708 

5,005 

5,308 

5,619 

5,9,38 

6,264 

6,.597 

6,938 

7,286 

7,642 

8,005 

8,375 

8,753 

9,138 

9,531 

9,931 

10,338 

10,753 

11,175 

11,605 

12,042 

12,486 

12,938 

13,397 


6 

c.  yds. 


13,817  13,864 


77 
211 
352 
501 
668 
821 
992 
1,171 
1,357 
1,560 
1,751 
1,959 
2,175 
2,398 
2,628 
2,866 
3,111 
3,364 
3,624 
3,891 
4,166 
4,348 
4,738 
5,035 
5,339 
5,651 
5,970 
6,297 
6,631 
6,972 
7,321 
7,678 

8;041 

8:,412 

8,791 

9,177 

9,570 

9,971 

10,379 

10,795 

11,218 

11,648 

12,086 

I2,53li 

12.984 

13;444 

13,911 

14,386 

14,868 


7 

c.  yds. 


90 
225 

367 

517 

684 

838 
1,010 
1,189 
1,376 
1,570 
1,771 
1,980 
2,197 
2,420 
2,651 
2,890 
3,136 
3,389 
3,650 
3,918 
4,194 
4,376 
4,767 
5,065 
5,370 
5,683 
6,003 
6,330 
6,665 
7,007 
7,357 
7,714 
8,078 
8,450 
8,829 
9,216 
9,610 
10,011 
10,420110,462 
I0,837i  10,879 


■8^ 
c.  yds. 

~i03 
239 
382 
532 
700 
855 
1,028 
1,208 
1,395 
1,590 
1,792 
2,002 
2,219 
2,443 
2,675 
•2,914 
3,161 
3,415 
3,676 
3,945 
4,222 
4,505 
4,796 
5,095 
5,401 
5,714 
6,035 
6,363 
6,699 
7,042 
7,392 
7,750 
8,115 
8,488 
8,868 
9,255 
9,650 
10,052 


14,290  14,338 
14,771  14.819 
15,259  15,308115.358; 
15,755  15,805' 15;855l 
16,2.581 16,308!  16,359' 
16,7681 16,819  16.871 


11,260  11,303 
11,691  11,735 
12,130  12,174 
12,576  12,621 
13,02913,075 
13,490  13,5:16113,583 
13.958  14,0051 14,053 
14,43414,482114,530 


116 

253 

396 

547 

706 

872 

1,045 

1,226 

1,414 

1,610 

1,813 

2,023 

2,241 

2,466 

2,699 

2,939 

3,186 

3,441 

3,703 

3,973 

4 

4, 
4,826 
5,125 
5,432 
5,746 
6,067 
6,396 
6,733 
7,076 
7,437 
7,786 
8,152 
8,525 
8,906 
9,294 
9,690 
10,093 
10,503 
10,921 
11,346 
11,779 
12,219 
12,666 
13,121 


14,917114,965 


17,28617,33817,390 
17,81117,86417.917 
18,344  18,397  18,451 
18,884  18,93«:18,992 
19,431  19,486]  19,.541  19.597 
19,986  20,042  20.098  20,154 
20,548|20,605  20,661  20,718 
21,118121, 17521,23221,290 


15,407!  15,4.56 
15,905 1 15.955 
I6,4l0|lf,,461 
16,923^16,974 
17,44:«17,495 
17,97018,023118,076 
18,105  18,559  18,613 
19.04718,10219,156 


15,014 


15,506 
16,005 
16,512 
17,026 
I7M7 


19,65219,707 
20,21020,266 
20,775|20,8S2 
21,348I81'504 


l'- 


TABLE     No.     XIV. 

ELOPE    1    TO     1. 
CORRECTION  FOR  DIFFERENCES  OF  DEPTHS. 


8 

O 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

•6 

•7 

•8 

•9 

£ 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

1 

0 

0 

0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

5 

4 

5 

5 

5 

6 

6 

C 

7 

7 

7 

7 

5 

8 

8 

8 

9 

9 

9 

10 

10 

10 

11 

6 

11 

11 

12 

12 

13 

13 

13 

14 

14 

15 

7 

15 

16 

16 

16 

17 

17 

18 

18 

19 

19 

8 

20 

20 

21 

21 

22 

22 

23 

23 

24 

24 

9 

25 

26 

26 

27 

27 

28 

28 

29 

30 

30 

10 

31 

31 

32 

33 

33 

34 

35 

35 

36 

37 

11 

37 

38 

39 

39 

40 

41 

42 

42 

43 

44 

12 

44 

45 

46 

.47 

47 

48 

49 

50 

50 

51 

13 

52 

53 

54- 

55 

55 

56 

57 

56 

59 

60 

14 

60 

61 

62 

63 

64 

65 

66 

67 

68 

69 

15 

69 

70 

71 

72 

73 

74 

75 

76 

T7 

78 

16 

79 

80 

81 

82 

83 

84 

85 

86 

87 

88 

17 

89 

90 

91 

92 

93 

95 

96 

97 

98 

99 

18 

100 

101 

102 

103 

104 

106 

107 

108 

109 

110 

19 

111 

113 

114 

115 

116 

117 

119 

120 

121 

122 

20 

123 

126 

126 

127 

128 

130 

131 

132 

134 

135 

21 

J36 

137 

139 

140 

141 

143 

144 

145 

147 

148 

^ 

149 

151 

152 

153 

155 

156 

158 

159 

160 

162 

23 

163 

165 

166 

168 

169 

170 

172 

173 

175 

176 

24 

178 

179 

181 

182 

184 

185 

187 

188 

190 

191 

25 

193 

194 

196 

198 

199 

201 

202 

204 

205 

207 

26 

209 

210 

212 

213 

215 

217 

218 

220 

222 

223 

27 

225 

227 

228 

230 

232 

233 

235 

237 

239 

240 

28 

242 

244 

245 

247 

249 

251 

252 

254 

256 

258 

29 

260 

261 

263 

265 

267 

260 

270 

272 

274 

276 

30 

278 

280 

281 

283 

9K^ 

287 

289 

291 

293 

295 

31 

297 

298 

300 

302 

304 

306 

308 

310 

312 

314 

32 

316 

318 

320 

322 

3-34 

326 

328 

330 

332 

334 

33 

336 

338 

340 

342 

344 

346 

348 

350 

353 

355 

34 

357 

359 

361 

363 

365 

367 

369 

372 

374 

376 

35 

378 

380 

382 

385 

387 

389 

391 

393 

396 

398 

36 

400 

402 

404 

407 

409 

411 

413 

416 

418 

420 

37 

423 

425 

427 

429 

432 

434 

436 

439 

441 

443 

38 

446 

448, 

460 

453 

455 

457 

460 

462 

465 

467 

39 

469 

472 

474 

477 

479 

482 

484 

486 

489 

491 

40 

494 

496 

499 

501 

504 

506 

509 

511 

514 

516 

41 

519 

521 

524 

526 

529 

531 

534 

537 

539 

541 

42 

544 

547 

550 

552 

555 

558 

560 

^ 

565 

568 

43 

571 

573 

576 

579 

581 

584 

587 

592 

595 

44 

598 

600 

603 

606 

608 

611 

614 

617 

619 

622 

45 

625 

628 

631 

633 

636 

639 

642 

645 

647 

650 

t 


TABLE     No.     XV. 

SLOPE  1^  TO  1, 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  16  FEET. 


0 

1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
4' 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 


o 

c.  yds. 


0 

61 

133 

217 

311 

417 

533 

661 

800 

949 

1,110 

1,283 

1,467 

1,661 

1,867 

2,083 

2,311 

2,550 

2,800 

3,061 

3,333 

3,617 

3,911 

4,217 

4,533 

4,861 

5,200 

5,550 

5,911 

6,283 

6,667 

7,061 

7,467 

7,883 

8,311 

8,750 

9,200 

9,661 

10,133 

10,617 

11,111 

11,616 

12,133 

12,661 

13,200 

13,750 

14,311 

14,883 

15,467 

16,061 

16,667 

17,283 

17,911 

18,550 

19,200 

19,861 

20,533 

21,217 

21,911 

22,617 

23,333 


1 

c.  yds. 


6 

68 

141 

225 

321 

428 

546 

674 

814 

966 

1,128 

1,301 

1,486 

1,681 

1,888 

2,106 

2,334 

2,574 

2,826 

3,088 

3,361 

3,646 

3,941 

4,248 

4,566 

4,894 

5,2.34 

5,586 

5,948 

6,321 

6,706 

7,101 

7,508 

7,926 

8,354 

8,794 

9,246 

9,708 

10,181 

10,666 

11,161 

11,668 

12,186 

12,714 

13,254 

13,806 

14,368 

14,941 

15,526 

10,121 

16,728 

17,346 

17,975 

18,614 

19,266 

19,928 

20,601 

21,286 

21,981 

23,688 

23,406 


2 

c.  yds. 


11 

75 

149 

2:^4 

331 

439 

558 

688 

829 

981 

1,145 

1,319 

1,505 

1,701 

1,909 

2,128 

2,358 

2,599 

2,851 

3,105 

3,389 

3,675 

3,971 

4,279 

4,598 

4,928 

5,269 

5,621 

5,985 

6,359 

6,745 

7,141 

7,549 

7,968 

8,398 

8,839 

9,291 

9,755 

10,229 


3 

c.  yds. 


17 

82 

157 

243 

342 

450 

570 

702 

844 

997 

1,162 

1,337 

1,524 

1,722 

1,930 

2,150 

2,382 

2,624 

2,877 

3,132 

3,417 

3,704 

4,002 

4,310 

4,630 

4,962 

5,304 

5,657 

6,022 

6,397 

€,784 

7,182 

7,590 

8,010 

8,442 

8,884 

9,337 

9,802 

10,277 


10,71510,764 
11,21211,262 
11,71911,770 
12.238;  12,290 

12,768112,822 
13,309  13.364 


13,961 
14,425 
14,999 

15,585 
16,181 


13,917 
14,482 
15,057 
15,644 
16,242 


16,788,16,849 
17,40817,470 
18,03818,102 
18,679118,744 
19,331  19,397 
19,99590,062 


20,669 
21.355 
22,051 
22,759 


90,737 
21,424 
22,122 
22,830 


23,478123,550 


4 

c.  yds. 


23 

89 

165 

252 

352 

462 

583 

715 

859 

1,013 

1,179 

1,355 

1,543 

1,742 

1,952 

2,173 

2,405 

2,649 

2,903 

3,169 

3,445 

3,733 

4,032 

4,342 

4,663 

4,995 

5,339 

5,693 

6,059 

6,435 

6,823 

7,222 

7,632 

8,053 

8,485 

8,929 

9,383 

9,849 

10,325 

10,813 

11,312 

11,822 

12,343 

12,875 

13,418 

13,973 

14,539 

15,115 

15,703 

16,302 

16,911 

17,533 

18,165 

18,809 

19,463 

20,129 

20,805 

21.493 

22,192 

22,902 

23,623 


5 

c.  yds. 


29 

96 

174 

261 

362 

474 

596 

729 

874 

1,029 

1,196 

1,374 

1,562 

1,762 

1,974 

2,196 

2,429 

2,674 

2,929 

3,196 

3,474 

3,763 

4,062 

4,374 

4,696 

5,029 

5,374 

5,729 

6,096 

6,474 

6,862 

7,262 

7,674 

8,096 

8.529 

8,974 

9,429 

9,896 

10,374 

10,862 

11,362 

11,874 

12,396 

12,929 

13,473 

14,029 

14,576 

15,174 

15,762 

16,362 

16,973, 

17,596 

18,229 

18,874 

19,529 

20,196 

20,874 

21.562 

22,262 

22,974 

23,69(: 


1,045 
1,213 

i,m 

1,582 

1,783 

1,995 

•2,219 

2,453 

2,699 

2,955 

3,223 

3,502 

3,793 

4,093 

4,405 

4,729 

5,063 

5,409 

5,765 

6,133 

6,512 

6,902 

7,303 

7,715 

8,139 

8,573 

9,019 

9,475 

9,943 

10,422 

10,912 

11,413 

11,925 

12,449 

12,983 

13,528 

14,085 

14,653 

15,232 

15,822 

16,423 

17,034 

17,659 

18,293 

18,939 

19,.595 

20,263 

20,942 

21,632 

22,333 

23.045 

23,71 


•7 

c.yds. 


69123 


42 

110 

190 

281 

384 

497 

622 

757 

904 

1,062 

1,230 

1,410 

.1,601 

1,804 

2,017 

2,242 

2,477 

2,724 

2,982 

3,250 

3,530 

3,822 

4,124 

4,437 

4,762 

5,097 

5,444 

5,802 

6,170 

6,550 

6,942 

7,344 

7,757 

8,182 

8,617 

9,064 

9,522 

9,990 

10,470 

10,962 

11,464 

11,977 

11,502 

13,037 

13,583 

14,142 

14,710 

15,090 

15,882 

16.484 

17,096 

17,722 

18,357 

19,004 

19,662 

20,330 

21,011 

21,702 

22,. 

23,117 
,842 


404  22 


•8 

c.  yds. 


48 

118 

199 

290 

395 

509 

635 

771 

919 

1,078 

1,248 

1,429 

1,621 

1,825 

2,039 

2,265 

2,501 

2,749 

3,008 

3,278 

3,559 

3,852 

4,155 

4,469 

4,795 

5,131 

5,479 

5,838 

6,028 

6,589 

6,981 

7,385 

7,799 

8,225 

8,661 

9,109 

9,568 

10,038 

10,519 

11,011 

11,515 

12,029 

12,555 

13,091 

13,638 

14,198 

14,768 

15,349 

15,941 

16,545 

17,158 

17,785 

18,421 

19,069 

19,728 

20,408 

21,079 

21,771 

:,473 

23,189 

23,915 


•9 

c.  yds. 


54 

126 

208 

301 

406 

521 

684 

786 

934 

1,095 

1,266 

1,448 

1,641 

1,846 

2,061 

2,288 

2,526 

2,774 

3,034 

3,306 

3,588 

3,882 

4,186 

4,501 

4,828 

5,166 

5,614 

5,874 

6,246 

6,628 

7,021 

7,426 

7,841 

8,268 

8,706 

9,154 

9,614 

10,086 

10,568 

11,061 

11,565 

12,081 

12,608 

13,146 

13,693 

14,254 

14,826 

15,406 

16,001 

16,006 

17,220 

17,848 

18,486 

19,134 

19,794 

20,476 

21,148 

21,841 

22,546 

23,261 

23,988 


'-^^<^Z^ 


^^z- 


/^7 


/ 


..                TABLE     No.     XVI^                  ...4s 

%■<  :                                      SLOPE   1^   TO   1.                                               1 

1i 

*  •              CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  UEPTHa,  BASE  13  FEET.                     1 

■-■  - 

s 

0        1    , 

3        4 

5        6    , 

•7       -8   , 

.9 

«x 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds.    c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c,  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

~0 

0 

7 

14 

20 

28 

35 

42 

49 

57 

66 

1 

Ti 

80 

88 

96 

104 

112 

121 

129 

138 

147 

2 

156 

164 

174 

183 

192 

201 

311 

220 

230 

240 

3 

250 

260 

270 

280 

291 

301 

312 

3-23 

334 

344 

4 

356 

367 

378 

389 

401 

412 

424 

436 

448 

460 

5 

472 

484 

497 

509 

5-22 

535 

548 

560 

574 

587 

6 

600 

613 

627 

640 

654 

668 

682 

690 

710 

724 

7 

739 

753 

768 

782 

7J7 

812 

8^28 

843 

858 

873 

8 

889 

904 

9-20 

936 

952 

968 

984 

1,000 

1,017 

1,033 

9 

1,050 

1,067 

1,084 

1,100 

1,118 

1,135 

1,152 

1,169 

1,187 

1,204 

10 

1,222 

1,240 

1,258 

^•276 

l,-294 

1,312 

1,331 

1,349 

i;368 

1,387 

11 

1,406 

1,45J1 

1,44-4 

i;463 

i;482 

1,501 

1,521 

1,540 

1,560 

1,580 

12 

1,600 

1,6-20 

1,640 

1,660 

1,681 

1,701 

1.722 

1.743 

1,764 

1,784 

13 

1,806 

1,827 

1,848 

1,869 

1,891 

1.912 

i;934 

i;956 

1,978 

2,000 

14 

2,022 

2,044 

2,067 

2,089 

2,112 

2;i35 

2,158 

2,180 

2,^204 

2,2-27 

15 

2,250 

2,273 

2,297 

2,320 

2,344 

2,368 

2,392 

2,416 

2,440 

2,464 

16 

2,489 

2,513 

2,538 

2,563 

2,588 

2,612 

2638 

2,663 

2,688 

2;713 

17 

2,739 

2,764 

2,790 

2,816 

2,842 

2,868 

2,894 

2,920 

2,947 

2,973 

18 

3,000 

3,027 

3,054 

3,080 

3;  108 

3,135 

3;i62 

3,189 

3,217 

3,244 

19 

3,272 

3,300 

3,328 

3,356 

3,384 

3,412 

3,441 

3,469 

3,498 

3,527 

20 

3,556 

3,584 

3,614 

3,643 

3,672 

3,701 

3,731 

3,760 

3,790 

3,820 

21 

3,850 

3,880 

3,910 

3,940 

3,971 

4,001 

4,032 

4,063 

4,094 

4,134 

22 

4,156 

4,187 

4,218 

4,249 

4,^281 

4,312 

4,344 

4,376 

4,408 

4,440 

23 

4,472 

4,504 

4,537 

4,569 

4,602 

4.635 

4,668 

4,700 

4,734 

4,767 

24 

4,800 

4,833 

4,867 

4,900 

4,934 

41968 

5,002 

5,036 

5,070 

5,104 

25 

5,139 

5,173 

5.208 

5,^243 

5,^278 

5,312 

5,348 

5;383 

5,418 

5,453 

26 

5,489 

5,524 

5,560 

5,596 

5,632 

5,668 

5,704 

5,740 

5,777 

5,813 

27 

5,850 

5,887 

5,924 

5,960 

5,998 

6,035 

6,072 

6,109 

6,147 

6,184 

28 

6,222 

6,260 

6,298 

6,336 

6,374 

6,412 

6,451 

6,489 

6,5-28 

6,.567 

29 

6,606 

0,644 

6.684 

6,723 

6,762 

6,801 

6,»41 

6,880 

6.920 

6,960 

30 

7,000 

7,040 

7;080 

7,120 

7,161 

7.201 

7,242 

7,283 

7;3-24 

7,364 

31 

7,406 

7,447 

7,488 

7;5-29 

7,571 

7,612 

7,654 

7,696 

7,738 

7,780 

32 

7,822 

7,864 

7,907 

7,949 

7,992 

8,035 

8,078 

8,120 

8,164 

8,207 

33 

8,250 

8,293 

8,337 

8,fe0 

8,424 

8;468 

8,512 

8,556 

8,600 

8,644 

34 

8,689 

8,733 

8,778 

8,8-23 

8,868 

8,912 

8.958 

9,003 

9.048 

9,093 

35 

9,139 

9,184 

9,230 

9,276 

9,322 

9,368 

9;414 

9,460 

9:507 

9,553 

36 

9,600 

9,647 

9,694 

9,740 

.9,788 

9,835 

9,882 

9,9-29 

9:977 

10,024 

37 

10,07-2 

10,120 

10,168 

10,216 

10,^264 

10,312 

10,361 

10,409 

10.458 

10,507 

38 

10,556 

10,604 

10,654 

10,703 

10,752' 1 0,801 

10,851 

10,900 

10;950 

11,000 

39 

11,050 

11,100 

11,150 

11,200 

11,251  11,301 

11,352 

11,403 

11,454 

11,504 

40 

11, .556 

11,607 

11,658 

11,709 

11,701  11.812 

11,864 

11,916 

11.968 

12,0-20 

41 

12,072 

12,124 

12,177 

12,229 

12,282jl2;335 

12,388 

12,440;  1-2,493 

12,547 

4-2 

12,600 

12,653 

12,707 

12,760 

12,814  12,858 

12,922 

12,976!  13,030 

13,084 

43 

13.139 

13,193 

13,248 

13,303 

13,358  13,412 

13,468 

I3,523l  13,578 

13.633 

44 

13,689 

13,744 

13,800 

13.856 

13,912  13,968 

14,024 

I4,080il4,l37 

14,193 

45 

14,250 

14,307 

14,364 

14;4-20 

14,478  14.535 

14;592 

14;649!  14,707 

14,704 

46 

14,822 

14,880 

14;938 

14,996 

15,054  15,102 

15,161 

15;229  15,-288 

15,347 

47 

15,406 

15,464 

15,524 

15;583 

15,642  15,701 

15,761 

15,8^20  15;880 

15,940 

4S 

16,000 

16,060 

16,120 

16,180 

16,241 

16,301 

16,362 

16,423|  16,484 

16,544 

49 

10,606 

l6,6-;7 

16,7-28 

16,789 

16,851 

16.912 

16,974 

17,036  17,098 

17,160 

50 

17,22-2 

17,284 

17,347 

17,409 

17;472 

17,535 

17,598 

17,660  17,7-24 

17,787 

51 

17,850 

17,913 

17,977 

18,040 

18,104 

18,168 

l8,-232 

18,296  18,360 

18,4-24 

52 

18,489 

18,553 

18,618 

18,683 

18,748 

18,812 

18.878 

l8,-943 

19.008 

19,073 

53 

19,139 

19,204 

19,270 

19,336 

19,402 

19,468 

19;534|19,600 

19,667 

19,733 

54 

19,800 

19,867 

19,93-1 

■20,000 

20,068 

20,135120,202 

•20,269 

•20,337 

'20,404 

55 

20,472 

20,540 

•20,608 

20,676 

20,744 

•20,812 

20,881 

•20,949:21,018 

21,087 

56 

21,156 

21,224 

21,294 

21,363 

21,432 

21,501 

21,571 

•21,64021,710 

21,780 

,  57 

21,850|2l,92fl 

21,990 

-22,060 

2-2,131 

22,201 

•22,272 

22,343  -22,414 

•22,484 

58 

22,556 

22,627 

•22,698 

•22,769 

22,841 

22,912 

22,984 

23,056  23,128 

•23,200 

59 

•23,272 

23.344 

23,417 

23,489 

23,562 

23,635 

•23,708 

•23,78023,854 

•23,927 

60124,000 

24,073l24,l47l2-4,220i24,294l24,368 

•24,442124,516-24,590 

24,664 

\:i'^\-    -i  •'•jj'-'^k     '.''  vLji^.i,J.",..^-';i..i 


-V*   ': 


TABLE     No.     XVII. 

SLOPE     1^    TO    1. 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BABE  26  FEET. 


■^} 


0 

1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 


c.  ydi. 


0 

98 

207 

328 

459 

602 

756 

920 

1,096 

1,283 

1,481 

1,691 

1,911 

2,143 

2,385 

2,639 

2,904 

3,180 

3,467 

3,765 

4,074 

4,394 

4,726 

5,069 

5,422 

5,787 

6,163 

6,550 

6,948 

7,357 

7,778 

8,209 

8,652 

9,106 

9,570 

10,046 

10,533 

11,031 

11,541 

12,061 

12,593 


1 

c.  yds. 


9 

109 

219 

340 

473 

617 

7T2 

937 

1,114 

1,303 

1,502 

1,712 

1,934 

2,166 

2,410 

2,665 

2,931 

3,208 

3,496 

3,795 

4,106 

4,427 

4,760 

5,103 

5,458 

5,824 

6,201 

6,589 

6,989 

7,399 

7,820 

8,253 

8,697 

9,152 

9,617 

10,094 

10,583 


•2 

,  yds. 


19 

119 

231 

353 

487 

632 

788 

955 

1,133 

1,322 

1,522 

1,734 

1,957 

2,190 

2,436 

2,691 

2,958 

3,236 

3,525 

3,826 

4,137 

4,460 

4,794 

5,138 

5,494 

5,861 

6,239 

6,629 

7,029 

7,441 

7,863 

8,297 

8,742 

9,198 

9,665 

10,143 

10,632 


11,08211,132 
11,592111,644 

12,11412,167 
12,646  12,700 


13,135  13,19013,245 


13,689 
14,254 
14,830 
15,417 


13,745' 1.3,801 
14,311 1 14,368 
14,8h8  14,946 
15,47615,535 


16,01516,075  16,136 


16,624 
17,244 

17,876 


16,68616,747 
17,307117.370 


17,94018,004 
I8,5l9;i8,583'l8,618 
19, 172;  19,238  19,304 
19,837il9,904fl9,971 
53120,513,20,58120,649 

54  21,200,21,269  21,339 

55  21,898,21,969  22,039 
5622,607122,679  22,751 

57  23,328  23,400!23,473 

58  24,059 124,133|24,207 

59  24,802;24,877|2'1,952 
60l25,556  25,632'25,708 


3 

c.  yds. 


28 

130 

242 

366 

501 

647 

804 

972 

1,151 

1,342 

1,543 

1,756 

1,979 

2,214 

2,460 

2,717 

2,985 

3,265 

3,555 

3,856 

4,169 

4,493 

4,828 

5,173 

5,530 

5,899 

6,278 

6,668 

7,070 

7,482 

7,906 

8,341 

8,787 

9,244 

9,712 

10,191 

10,682 

11,183 

11,696 

12,219 

12,754, 

13,300; 

13,857! 

14,425 

15,005; 

15,595 

16,196 

16,809 

17,433) 

18,068 

18,713 

19,370 

20,039 

20,718 

21.408 

22,110 

22,822, 

23.546 

24,2«1 

25,027 

25,784 


4 

yds. 


381 

141 

254 

379 

515 

662 

820 

989 

1,170 

1,361 

1,564 

1,778 

2,002 

2,238 

2,485 

2,743 

3,013 

3,293 

3,585 

3,887 

4,201 

4,526 

4,862 

5,209 

5,567 

5,936 

6,316 

6,708 

7,111 

7,524 

7,949 

8,385 

8,832 

9,290 

9,759 

10,240 

10,731 

11,234 

11,748 

12,2T2 

12,808 

13,355 

13,913 

14,483 

15,063 

15,655 

16,257 

16,871 

17,496 

18,132 

18,779 

19,437 

20,106 

20,786 

21,478 

22,181 

22,894 

23,619 

24,3.55i 

25,102, 

25,860 


5 

c.  yds. 


48 

151 

266 

392 

529 

677 

837 

1,007 

1,188 

1,381 

1,585 

1,800 

2,025 

2,262 

2,511 

2,770 

3,040 

3,322 

3,614 

3,918 

4,233 

4,559 

4,896 

5,244 

5,603 

5,974 

6,355 

6,748 

7,151 

7,566 

7,992 

8,429 

8,877 

9,337 

9,807 

10,288 

10,781 

11,285 

11,800, 

12,325; 

12,862 

13,411 

13,970 

14,540 

15,122 

15,714! 

16,318 

16,933; 

17,559; 

18,196 

18,844; 

19,503! 

20,174 

20,855 

21,548 

22,251 

22,966 

23,692 

24,429 

25,177 

25,937 


6 

c.  yds. 


58 

162 

278 

405 

543 

693 

853 

1,025 

1,207 

1,401 

1,606 

1,822 

2,049 

2,28' 

2,536 

2,796 

3,068 

3,351 

3,644 

3,949 

4,265 

4,592 

4,930 

5,279 

5,640 

6,011 

6,394 

6,788 

7,192 

7,608 

8,035 

8,473 

8,923 

9,383 

9,855 

10,337 

10,831 

11,336 

11,852 

12,379 

12,917 

13,466 

14,026 

14,598 

15,181 

15,774 

16,379 

16,995 

17,622 

18,260 

18,909 

19,.570 

20,241 

20,924 

21,618 

22,322 

23,038 

23,765 

2^1..503 

25,2531 

25,013' 


•7 

c.  yds. 


68 

173 

290 

419 

558 

708 

870 

1,042 

1,226 

1,421 

1,627 

1,844 

2,072 

2.311 

2;562 

2,823 

3,096 

3,379 

3,674 

3,980 

4,297 

4,625 

4,965 

5,315 

5,676 

6,049 

6,433 

6,828 

7,233 

7,651 

8,079 

8,518 

8,968 

9,430 

9,902 

10,386 

10,881 

11,387 

11,904 

12,432 


•8 

e.  yds. 


78 

185 

303 

432 

572 

724 

887 

1,060 

1,245 

1,441 

1,648 

1,866 

2,095 

2,336 

2,587 

2,850 

3,124 

3,408 

3,704 

4,011 

4,329 

4,659 

4,999 

5,351 

5,713 


6,472 


7,275 

7,693 

8,122 

8,562 

9,014 

9,477 

9,950 

10,435 

10,931 

11,438 

11,956 

12,485 


12,971;  13,026 
13,522  13,577 


14,083 
14.656 


14,140 
14,714 


15,239.15,298 
15,834' 15,894 
16,440  16,501 
17,057,17,119 
17,685' 17,749 
18,325;  18,389 
18,975|  19,041 
19,636  19,703 
20,309  20,377 
20,993  21,062 


9 

c.  yd*. 


88 

199 

315 

446 

587 

740 

903 

1,078 

1,264 

1,461 

1,669 

1 

2,119 
2,360 
2,613 
2,877 
3,152 
3,437 
3,735 
4,043 
4,362 
4,692 
5,034 
5,386 
5,750 


6,087   6,125 


6,511 


6,868   6,908 


7,316 
7,735 
8.166 
8,607 
9,060 
9,523 
9,998 
10,484 
10,981 
11,489 
13,009 
12,539 
13,080 
13,633 
14,197 
14,772 
15,357 
15,954 
16,563 
17,182 
17,812 
18,454 
19,106 
19,770 
20,445 
21,131 


21,688  21,758  21,828 
22,393  22,465  22,536 
23,11123,183  23,255 
23,839  23,912  23,986 
24,578  24,652  24,727 
25,328  25,404  25,480 
26,090  26,167126,243 


^^,,x-=«^S«-^t-      ^■-'y^^-^'^- 


'■4~^r"'tnr\,     y%4  i 


TABLE     No.     XVIII. 

SLOPE    1^   TO    1. 


CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BASE  28  FEET. 


£ 


0 

c.  yd». 


7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
30 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 


39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 


1 

yd*. 


0 

109 

229 

361 

503 

657 

822 

998 

1,185 

1,383 

1,592 

1,812 

2,044 

2,287 

2,540 

2,805 

3,081 

3,368 

3,667 

3,975 

4,296 

4,627 

4,970 

5,324 

5,688 

6,064 

6,451 

6,850 

7,259 

7,679 

8,111 

8,553 

S.OO'^ 

9,472 

9,948 

10,435 

10,933 

11,442 

38111,962 

'    12,494 

13,037 

13,590 

14,155 

14,731 

15,318 

15,917 

16,526 

17,146 

17,778 

18,420 

19,074 

19,739 

20,415 

21,102 

21,800 

22,509 

23,230 

23,961 

24,704 

25,457 

26,222 


•2 
c.  yd*. 


10 

120 

242 

374 

518 

673 

839 

1,016 

1,204 

1,403 

1,614 

1,835 

2,068 

2,311 

2,566 

2,832 

3,109 

3,397 

3,697 

4,007 

4,328 

4,661 

5,005 

5,368 

5,725 

6,103 

6,491 

6,890 

7,300 

7,722 

8,154 

8,598 

9,053 

9,519 

9,996 

10,484 

10,983 

11,494 

12,015 

12,548 

13,091 


% 

.  yds. 


•20 

132 

255 

388 

533 

689 

856 

1,034 

1,223 

1,424 

1,635 

1,858 

2,092 

2.336 

2;592 

2,859 

3,137 

3,427 

3,727 

4,089 

4,361 

4,695 

5,040 

5,396 

5,763 

6,i41 

6,530 

6,930 

7,342 

7,765 

8,198 

8,643 

9,099 

9,566 

10,044 

10,533 

11,034 

11,545 

12,068 

12,602 

13,146 


ai 

144 

267 


14,212 
14,789 
15,377 
15,977 
16,587 


4 

.  yds. 


13,646 13,702 


14,261 

14 

15,437 

16,038 

16,649 


17,20917,272 
17,842  17,905 


18,485 
19,140 
19,806 
20,483 
21,171 
21,870 
22,581 
23,302 
24,035 
24,779 
25,533 
26,299 


18,550 
19,206 
19,873 
20,551 
21,241 
21,941 
22,652 
23,375 
24,109 
24,854 
25,609 
26,37726,454 


705 

873 

1,043 

1,243 

1,444 

1,657 

1,881 

2,116 

2,361 

2,619 

2,887 

3,166 

3,456 

3,758 

4,070 

4,394 

4,729 

5,075 

5,432 

5,800 

6,179 

6,570 

6,971 

7,384 

7,807 

8,242 

8,688 

9,145 

9,613 

10,093 

10,583 

11,084 

11,597 

12,121 

12,656 

13.201 

13,759 

14,327 

14,906 

15,496 

16.098 

16,711 

17,335 

17,969 

18,615 

19,272 

19,941 

20,620 

21,310 

22,012 

22,724 

23,448 

24,183 

24,929 

25,686 


6 

c.  yds. 


42 
156 

280 

416 

563 

T21 

891 

1,061 

1,263 

1,465 

1,679 

1,904 

2,140 

2,387 

2,645 

2,914 

3,194 

3,486 

3,789 

4,102 

4,427 

4,763 

5,110 

5,468 

5,837 

6,218 

6,609 

7,012 

7,426 

7,850 

8,286 

8,733 

9,191 

9,661 

10,141 

10,633 

11,135 

11.649 

I2;i74 

12,710 

13,25 

13,815 

14,384 

14.964 

15.556 

16,159 

16,773 

17,398 

18,033 

18,681 

19,339 

20,008 

20,688 

21,380 


6 

c.  yds. 


23,521 


Si 

168 

293 

431 

579 

T38 

908 

1,080 

1,282 

1,486 

1,701 

1,927 

2,164 

2,412 

2,671 

2,942 

3,223 

3,516 

3,819 

4,134 

4,460 

4,797 

5,145 

5,505 

5,875 

6,256 

6,649 

7,053 

7,468 

7,893 

8,331 

8,779 

9,238 

9,708 

10,190 

10,682 

11,186 

11,701 

12,227 

12,764 

13,312 

13,871 

14,442 

15,023 

15.616 

16,221 

16,835 

17,461 

18,098 

18,746 

19,405 

20,076 

20,757 

21,450! 


64 

180 

307 

445 

594 

754 

926 

1,099 

1,302 

1,507 

1,723 

1,950 

2,188 

2,437 


2,963 


•7 
c.  yds. 


75 

192 

320 

459 

610 

771 

944 

1,117 

1,322 

1,528 

1,745 

1,973 

2,213 

2,463 


2,698   2,724 


2,997 


3,252   3,281 


3,546 

3,850 

4,166 

4,493 

4,832 

5,181 

5,541 

5,913 

6,295 

6,689 

7,094 

7,510 

7,937 

8,375 

8,824 

9,-284 

9,756 

10,239 

10,732 

11,237 

11,753 

12,280 

12,818 

13,367 

13,928 

14,499 

15,082 

15,676 

16,282 

16,897 

17,524 

18,162 

18,811 

19,472 

20,143 


86 
204 
333 
474 


3.576 

3,881 

4,199 

4,527 

4,866 

5,216 

5,578 

5,950 

6,834 

6,729 

7,135 

7,552 

7,980 

8,419 

8,870 

9,331 

9,804 

10,287 

10,782 

11,288 

11,805 

12,333 

12,873 

13,423 

13,984 

14,557 

15,141 

15,736 

16,344 

16,959 

17,587 

18,226 

18,877 

19,538 

20,211 


22,08222,153 

22,79622,868 


23,594 


20,826  20,895 
21,519J21,589 
22,224  22,295 
22,94023,012 


24,25724,331 


25,004 
25,762 
26,531 


25,079 
25,838 
26,609 


23,667 
24,405 
25,155 
25,915 


23,740 
24,480 


25,992 


26,686126,764 


788 
963 
1,136 
1,342 
1,549 
1,768 
1,997 
2,237 
2,489 
2,751 
3,025 
3,310 
3,606 
3,913 
4,231 
4,560 
4,900 
5,252 
5,615 
5,988 
6,373 
6,769 
7,176 
7,594 
8,023 
8,464 
8,915 
9,378 
9,852 
10,336 
10,832 
11,339 
11,858 
12,387 
12,927 
13,479 
14,041 


15,200 
15,796 
16,405 
17,021 
17,651 
18,291 
18,942 
19,605 
20,279 
20,964 
21,659 


23,065 
23,814 


25,23025,30625,382 


26,068 


97 

217 

347 

488 

641 

805 

980 

1,155 

1,363 

1,571 

1,790 

2,030 

2,362 

2,514 

2,778 

3,053 

3,339 

3,636 

3,944 

4,263 

4,594 

4,935 

5,288 

5,651 

6,036 

6,413 

6,809 

7,317 

7,637 

8,067 

8,508 

8,961 

9,425 

9,900 

10,385 

10,883 

11,391 

11,910 

12,440 

12,982 

13,534 

14,098 


14,615 14,673 


15,259 
15,856 
16,466 
17,084 
17,714 
18,356 
19,008 
19,672 
30,347 
21,033 
21,730 


22,36722,438 


23,157 

23,887 


24,55434,639 


36,145 


26,842)36,930 


0 


8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20j 
21 
22 
23 
24 
26 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
4G 
47 
'18 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
St 
55 


•0 

.  yds. 


TABLE     No.     XIX. 

SLOPE    1^   TO    1. 
CONTENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BABE  30  FEET. 

1  2  ^  4  ^  ^ 

c.  yd».    c.  yd».    c.  yd».    c.  yds,    c.  yds.-  c.  yds. 


5: 

14 

867 

1,050 

1,244 

1,450 

1,667 

1,894 

2.133 

2,383 

2,644 

2,917 

3,200 

3,494 

3,800 

4,117 

4.444 

4,783 

5,133 

5,494 

5,867 

6,250 

6,&44 

7,050| 

7,467 

7,894 

8,333 

8,783 

9,244 

9,717 

10,200 

10,694 

11,200 

11,717 

12,244 

I2,7a3 

13,333 

13,894 

14,467 


11 
129 
258 
398 
549 
711 
884 
1,069 
1,264 
1,471 
1,689 
1.918 
2,158 
2,409 
2,671- 
2,944 
3,229 
3,524 
3,831 
4,149 
4,478 
4,818 
5,169 
5,531 
5,904 
6,289 
6,684 
7,091 
7,509 
7,938 
8,378 
8,829 
9.291 
9;764 


10,744 
11,251 
11,769 
12,298 
12,838 
13,389 
13,951 
14,524 


15,05015,109 


15,614 
16,250 
16,867 
17,494 
18,133 
18,783 
19,444 
20,117 
20,800 
21,494 
•22,200 
22,917 
56123,044 
57i24,383 
58  25,133 
59l25,R94 


22 
141 
271 
412 
565 
72BI 
90- 
1,088, 
1,285 
1,492 
1,711 
1,941 
2,182 
2,435 
2,69Si 
2,972i 
3,258' 
3,5551 
3.862 
4il81| 
4,51  H 
4,852; 
5,20&; 
5,568- 
5,942; 
6,328; 
6,725 
7,132 
7,551 
7,981 
8,422 
8,875| 
9;338; 
9,812- 


10,249110,298 


10,795 
11,302 
11,821' 
1-2,351 : 
12,892 
13,445 
14,008 
14,582 
15,1(» 
15,765 
16,372 
16,991 
17,621 


15,704 
16,311 
16,928 
17,558 
18,198 
18,849 
19,511 
20,185 
20,869 
21,565 
22,271 
23,989 

23,718123,791 
21,458,24,.532l 
25,209-25,285 
25,971  26,048 
60  •2t>,fir.7  •26;745!26,82-2 


18,915 
19,578, 
20,252 
20,938 
21,635, 
22,342 
23,061 


34 
154 

.    285 

427 

580 

745 

920 

1,107 

1,305 

1,514 

1,734 

1,965 

2;307 

2,4<M) 

2,725 

3.000 

3,287 

3,585 

3,894 

4  214 

4,545 

4 

5,240 

5,605 

5,980 

6,367 

6,765 

7,174 

7,594 

6,025 

8.467 

8;920 

9,385 

9,860 

10.347 

10,845 

11,354 

11,874 

12,404 

12,947 

13,500 

14.065 

14,640 

15,227 

15,825 

16,434 

17,<;54 

17,685 

18,327 

18,980 

19,645 

20,321 

21,007 

21,705 

22,414 

23,i:i4 

23,865 


1,325 
1,535 
1 ,756 
1,988 
2,232 
2.486 
2,752 
3,029 
3,3M; 
3,615 
3,925 
4,246 
4,579 
4,922 
5,276 
5,642 
6,018 
6,406 
6,805 
7,215 
7,636 
8,069 
8,512 
8,966 
9,432 


10,396 
10,895 
U,iQ5 
11,926 
12,459 
13,002 
13,556 
14,1-22 
14,699 
15,286 
15,885 
16,495 
17,116 
17,749 
18,392 
19,046 
19,712 


c.  yds.. 

57 

179 
312 

m 

779 
957 

1,146 
1,346 
1,557 

1,779 
2,012 
2,257 
2.512 
2,779 
3,057 
3,346 
3,646 
3,957 
4,279 
4,612 
4,957 
5,312 
5.679 
6,057 
6,446 
6,846 
7,257 
7,679 
8,112 
8,557 
9,012 


69 
192 
326 

472 
629 
796 
975 
1,165 
1,366 
1,579 
1,802 
2,036 
2,282 
2,539 
2,806 
3,085 
3,375 
3,676 
3,989 
4,312 
4,646 
4,992 
5,349 
5,716 
6,095 
6,485 
6,886 
7,299 
7,722 
8,156 
8;602 
9,059 


•7 

c.  yds. 


■H    I    -9 

:  yds.  !  a.  yds. 


9,909  9,957 


9,479  9,526 


10,446 
10,946 
11.4.57 
11,979 
12,512 
13,057 
13,612 


10,005 
10,495; 
10.9961 
11,5()7| 
12.032, 
12,566| 
13.112^ 


80 

205 

340 

487 

645 

814 

994 

1,185 

1,387 

1,600 

1,825 

2,060 

2,307 

2,565 

2,834 

3,114 

3,405 

3,707 

4,020 

4,345 

4,680 

5,027 

5,385 

5,754 

6,134 

6,525 

6,927 

7,340 

7.765 

8,200 

8,fr47 

9,105 

9,574 

10,054 

10,545 

11.047 


92 
218 
355 
502 
661 
831 
I,0l2j 
1,205| 

^•^^\ 
1,622 

1,848! 

2,084i 

2,332 

2,591 

2,861 

3,142 

3,435 

3,738 

4,052 

4,378 

4,715 

5,062 

5,421 

5,791 

6.172 

6:565 

6,968 

7,382 

7,808 

8,245 

8,692 

9,151 

9,621 

10,102 

10,595 

11,098 


11,560:11,612 
12,085112.138 
12,620112,675 
13,16713,222 


14,179114,236 
14,757,14,815 
15,346115,405 
15,946116,006! 


13,66913,725 

'    14,294 

14,874 

15,465 

16,067 


13,781 
14,351 
14,932 
15,525 
16,128 


16,,557116,619. 16,681 116,742  16,805 


17,179117,242 

17,813;  17,876, 
18,457118,522 
19,113!19.179| 
19,779;  19,846 


-20,389  20,4571-20,5-^5 


21,076 
21,775 
22,4a5 
23,206 


21,146:21,2151 
21,846|21,916' 
22,.557i22.629 
23,2792:13.52 


17,305  17,368 
17,941  |l8.()05 
18,.587|  18,6,52 
19,245119,311 
19,9l4!l9,981 
20,594120,662 
21,285,21,3,55 
21,987;22,0.58 
22,70112-2,772 
2:^,425  23.498 


23,939|24,0l3|-24,086j 
24,607r24,682l24,757'--J4,832 
25,361  I25,436|25.5l3i25.589 
26,125  26,202l26,279|26,356| 
i26,90ll2i;,979i27,057i27,135 


■24,161 
24,907 
•25,665 
26,434 
27,214 


24,235 
24,982 
25,741 
-26,511 
27,292 


104 

231 

369 

518 

678 

849 

1,031 

1,224 

1,429' 

1,644 

1,871 

2,109 

2,358 

2,618 

2,889 

3,171 

3,464 

3,769 

4,084 

4,411 

4,749 

5,098 

5,458J 

5,829 

6,212 

6,604 

7,009 

7,424 

7,851 

8,289- 

8,738 

9,198 

9,6691 

10,151 

10,644 

11,149 

11,664 

12,191 

12,729 

13,278 

13,838 

14,409 

14,991 

15,.584 

16,189 


17,431 
18,069 
18,718 
19,378 
20,049 
-20,731 
21,425 
•22,129 
22,845 
•23.571 
-24,309 
•25,0.58 
25,818 
26,589 
27,371 


;>< 


Ki:^«>^«^4^ 


X-^^yJ-iT-^r*.-* -^^-^-^'-^^-A^v.     ^^^ . 


'77 


TABLE    No.    XX. 

SLOPE    1^   TO    1. 
COWENT  FOR  AVERAGE  DEPTHS,  BABE  34  FEET. 


i 


0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 
10 
11 
12 

i 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

81 

S2 

33 

34 

35 

36 

87 

88 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 

58 

59 

60 


•0 

.  yds. 


0 

131 

274 

428 

593 

769 

956 

1,154 

1,363 

1,583 

1,815 

2,057 

2,311 

2,576 

2,852 

3,139 

3,437 

3,746 

4,067 

4,398 

4,741 

5,094 

5,459 

5,835 

6,222 

6,620 

7,030 

7,450 

7,881 

8,324 

8,778 

9,243 

9,719 

10,206 

10,704 

11,213 

11,733 

12,265 

12,807 

13,361 

13,926 

14.502 

i5;aS9 

15,687 
16,296 
16,917 
17,548 
18,191 
18,844 
19,509 
20,185 
20,872 
21,570 
22,280 
23,000 


1 

c.  yds. 


13 
145 

289 

444 

610 

787 

975 

1,174 

1,385 

1,606 

1,839 

2,082 

2,337 

2,603 

2,880 

3,168 

3,467 

3,778 

4,099 

4,432 

4,776 

5,130 

5,486 

5,873 

6,262 

6,661 

7,071 

7,493 

7,925 

8,369 

8,824 

9,290 

9,767 

10,255 

10,754 

11,265 

11,786 

12,319 

12,862 

13,417 

13.983 

14,560 

15,148 

15,747 

16.358 

16,979 

17,612 

18,256 

18,910 

19.576 

20,253 

20,942 

21,641 

22,351 

23,073 


•2 

c.  yds. 


25 

159 

304 

460 

627 

805 

994 

1,195 

1,406 

1,629 

1,862 

2,107 

2,363 

2,630 

2,908 

3,198 

3,498 

3,809 

4,132 

4,466 

4,811 

5,167 

5,524 

5,912 

6,301 

6,.70l 

7,113 

7,535 

7,969 

8,414 

8,870 

9,337 

9,815 

10,304 


3 

c.  yds. 


38 
173 
319 
476 
644 
823 

1,014 

1,215 

1,428 

1,652 

1,886 

2.132 

2,389 

2,658 

2,937 

3;227 

3,529 

3,841 

4,165 

4,500 

4,846 

5,203 

5,561 

5,950 

6,341 

6,742 

7,155 

7,578 

8,013 

8,459 

8,916 

9,384 

9,863 

10  354 
10,805;10',855 
11,31611,368 
11,839:11.892 
12  372  12;426 
I2;917il2,972 
13,473,13,529 
14,04014,098 
14,618;  14,677 
15,208  15,267  j  15,327 


4 

c.  yds. 

51 

187 

334 

492 

662 

842 

1,033 

1,236 

1,450 

1,675 

1,911 

2,158 

2,416 

2,685 

2,965 

3,257 

3,559 

3,873 

4,198 

4,534 

4,881 

5,239 

5,608 

5,989 

6.380 

6,783 

7,196 

7,621 

8,05'^ 

8,5W 

8;962 

9,432 

9,912 

10,403 

10,906 

11,420 

11,945 

12,481 

13,028 

13,586 

14,155 

14,735 


5 

c.  yds. 


64 

201 

350 

509 

679 

861 

1,053 

1,257 

1,472 

1,698 

1,935 

2,183 

2,442 

2,713 

2,994 

3,287 

3,590 

3,905 

4,231 

4,568 

4,916 

5,275 

5,646 

6,027 

6.420 

€;824 

7,238 

7,664 

8,101 

•8,550 

9,009 

9,479 

9,961 

10,453 

10,95 

11,472 

41,998 

12,535 


6 

c.  yds. 


•7 

c.yds. 


48,083  13,138 
13,642113,699 


28,731,23,805 
24,47424,549 
25,22825,304 
25,993  26,070 
26,769  26,847 
27,556!27,635 


15,808;15,869 
16,41916,481 
17,04217,105 
17,676;  17,740 

18.321  18,386 
18,977, 19,043 
19,64419.711 

20.322  20,390 
21,01121,081 
21,71121,782 
22,423  22,495 
23,145  23,218 
23,879  23,953 
24,624  24,699 
25,380:25,456 
26,147  26,224 


26,925 
27.714 


27,003 
27,794 


15,929 
16,543 
17,168 
17,804 
18,451 
19,109 
19,778 
20,459 
21,150 
21,853 
22,566 
23,291 
24,027 
24,774 


26,302 
27,082 
27,873 


7tt 

216 

365 

525 

69' 

879 

1,073 

1,278 

1,494 

1,721 

1,959 

2,208 

2,469 

2,740 

3,023 

3,316 

3,621 

3,937 

4,264 

4(602 

4,952 

5,312 

5,683 

6,066 

6,460 

6,865 

7,281 

7,708 

6,146 

8,595 

9,055 

9,527 

10,009 

10,503 

11,008 

11,524 

12,051 

12,589 


14,213 
14,794 
15,387 
15,990 
16,6(» 
17.231 
17,868 
18,516 
19,175 
19,846 


14,270 

14,853 

15,446 

16,051 

16,66' 

17,294 


18,582 
19,242 
19,913 


20,527|20,596 


22,638 
23,364 
24,101 
24,850 


25,53325,609 


26,379 
27,161 


22,711 
23,438 
24,176 
24,925 
25,685 
26,457 
27,239 


•8 

c  yds. 


91 

230 

381 

542 

715 

698 

1,093 

1,299 

1,516 

1,744 

1,983 

2,234 

2,495 

2,768 

3,052 

3,346 

3,652 

3;969 

4,298 

4,637 

4,987 

5,349 

5,721 

6,105 

6,500 

6,906 

7,323 

7,751 

8,190 

8,641 

9,102 

9,575 

10,058 

10,553 

11,059 

11,576 

12,104 

12,643 

13,194 

13,755 

14,328 

14,912 

15,506 

16.112 

16,729 

17,358 


•9 

.yds. 


17,932  17,997 


18,647 
19,309 
19,981 
20,665 


104 

245 

396 

559 

732 

917 

1,113 

1,320 

1,538 

1,768 

2,006 

2,259 

2,522 

2,796 

•3,081 

3,377 

3,684 

4,002 

4,331 

4i671 

5,023 

5,385 

5,759 

6,144 

6,540 

6,947 

7,365 

7,794 

8,235 

8,686 

9,149 

9,622 

10,107 

10,603 

11,110 

11,628 

12,158 

12,698 

13,249 

13,812 

14.386 

14,971 

15,567 

16,174 

16,792 

17,421 

18,061 

18,713 

19,375 

20,049 

20,734 


21,220121.29021,36021,431 
21,92421,995 


27,953  28,033 


23,511 
24,250 
25,001 
25,762 
26,535 
27,318 


22.06622,137 
22,783  22,855 


23,584 
24,325 


25,839 
26,612 
27,397 


28,113128,193 


118 

259 

412 

576 

750 

936 

1,133 

1,342 

1,561 

1,791 

2,033 

2,285 

2,549 

2,824 

3,110 

3,407 

3,715 

4,034 

4,365 

4,706 

5,059 

5,422 

5,797 

6,183 

6,580 

6,988 

7,407 

7,838 

8,279 

8,732 

9,196 

9,€70 

10,156 

10,653 

11,162 

11,681 

12,211 

12,753 

13,305 

13,869 

14,444 

15,030 

15,627 

16,235 

16,854 

17,485 

18,126 

18,779 

19,442 

20,117 

20,803 

21,500 

22,208 

22,927 

23,658 

24,399 


25,07625,152 


25,916 
26,690 
27,476 

28,273 


:^*^: 


TABLE     No.     XXI. 

SLOPE    li   TO    1. 
CORRECTI»N  FOR  DIFFERENCES  OF  DEPTHR 


1 

0 

1 

•2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

•7 

•8 

9 

£ 

c.'yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

c.  yds. 

e.  yds. 

cyds. 

e.  yds. 

"T 

0 

1 

1 

1 

h 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

4 

3 

4 

4 

5 

5 

5. 

6 

■  6 

6 

7 

7 

4 

7 

8 

8 

9 

9 

9 

10 

10 

11 

11 

5 

12 

12 

13 

13 

14 

14 

15 

15 

16 

16 

6 

17 

17 

18 

18 

la 

20 

20 

21 

21 

23 

7 

23 

23 

24 

25 

25 

26 

27 

27 

28 

29 

8 

30 

30 

31 

32 

33 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

9 

37 

.  38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

44 

45 

10 

46 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

11 

56 

57 

58 

59 

60 

61 

62 

63 

64 

66 

12 

67 

68 

69 

70 

71 

72 

74 

75 

76 

77 

13 

•  78 

79 

81 

82 

83 

,  84 

86 

•87 

88 

89 

14 

91 

92 

93 

95 

96 

97 

99 

100 

101 

103 

15 

104 

106 

107 

108 

110 

111 

113 

114 

116 

117 

16 

119 

120 

122 

123 

125 

126 

128 

129 

131 

132 

17 

134 

135 

137 

139 

140 

142 

143 

145 

147 

148 

18 

150 

152 

153 

155 

157 

158 

160 

162 

164 

165 

19 

167 

169 

171 

172 

17* 

176 

178 

180 

181 

183 

30 

185 

187 

189 

191 

193 

195 

196 

198 

200 

202 

21 

204 

206 

208 

210 

212 

214 

216 

218 

220 

222 

22 

22-4 

226 

228 

230 

232 

234 

236 

239 

341 

243 

23 

245 

2il 

249 

251 

253 

256 

258 

260 

262 

264- 

24 

'267 

269 

271 

273 

276 

278 

280 

282 

285 

287 

25 

289 

292 

294 

296 

299 

301 

303 

306 

308 

311 

26 

313 

315 

318 

320 

323 

325 

328 

330 

333 

335 

27 

337 

340 

343 

345 

348 

350 

353 

355 

358 

360 

28 

363 

366 

368 

371 

373 

376 

379 

381 

3g4 

387 

29 

389 

392 

395 

397 

400 

403 

406 

408 

411 

414 

30 

417 

419 

422 

425 

428 

431 

433 

436 

439 

442 

31 

445 

448 

451 

453 

456 

459 

462 

465 

468 

471 

32 

474 

477 

480 

483 

486 

489 

492 

495 

498 

501 

33 

504 

507 

510- 

513 

516 

519 

523 

526 

529 

532 

34 

535 

538 

542- 

545 

548 

551 

554 

557 

561 

564 

35 

567 

570 

574 

577 

580 

583 

587 

590 

593 

597 

36 

600 

603 

607 

610 

614 

617 

620 

624 

627 

630 

37 

1634 

637 

641 

644 

648 

651 

654 

658 

661 

665 

38 

668 

692 

675 

679 

683 

686 

690 

693 

697 

701 

39 

704 

708 

7U 

715 

719 

722 

726 

730 

733 

T37 

40 

741 

744 

748 

752 

756 

TO9 

763 

767 

771 

774 

41 

778 

782 

786 

790 

693 

797 

801 

805 

809 

813 

42 

817 

821 

824 

828 

832 

836 

840 

844 

848 

852 

43 

856 

860 

864 

868 

872 

876 

880 

884 

888 

892 

44 

896 

900 

904 

908 

913 

917 

921 

925 

929 

933 

45 

938 

942 

946 

850 

954 

958 

963 

967 

971 

975 

V^-iL^ 


/O. 


8 

■i 

J 

TABLE     No.    XXII.                       1 

? 

CONTENTS  OF  PRISMS  WITH  SQUARE  BASES                         1 

i 

o 

1 

2 

3         4 

5 

6 

•7       -8 

9 

; 

c.  yd*. 
0 

c.  yd». 
0 

c.  7dt. 
0 

c.  yds. 

0 

c.  yd*. 
1 

c.ydt. 
1 

c.yd». 

1 

c.yd». 
2 

c.  yds. 

c.  ydf. 

2 

3 

i 

1 

4 

4 

5 

^ 

7 

8 

9 

11 

12 

13 

2 

15 

16 

18 

20 

21 

23 

*    25 

27 

29 

31 

» 

3 

33 

36 

38 

40 

43 

45 

48 

51 

53 

56 

!' 

4 

59 

62 

65 

68 

72 

75 

78 

82 

85 

89 

.' 

5 

93 

96 

100 

104 

108 

112 

116 

120 

125 

129 

t' 

6 

133 

138 

142 

147 

152 

156 

161 

166 

171 

176 

' 

7 

181 

187 

192 

197 

203 

208 

214 

220 

225 

231 

. 

8 

337 

24S 

249 

255 

261 

268 

274 

280 

287 

293 

t 

9 

300 

307 

313 

320 

327 

334 

341 

348 

356 

363 

J 

10 

370 

378 

385 

393 

401 

408 

416 

424 

432 

440 

11 

448 

456 

465 

473 

481 

490 

398 

507 

516 

521 

12 

533 

542 

551 

560 

569 

579 

588 

597 

607 

616 

13 

626 

636 

645 

655 

665 

675 

€85 

695 

705 

716 

t 

14 

726 

736 

747 

757 

768 

779 

789 

800 

811 

822 

15 

833 

844 

856 

867 

878 

890 

901 

913 

925 

936 

! 

16 

948 

960 

972 

984 

996 

1,008 

1,021 

1,033 

1,045 

1,058 

i 

17 

1,070 

1,083 

1,096 

1,108 

1,121 

1,134 

1,147 

1,160 

1,173 

1,187 

■ 

18 

1,200 

1,213 

1,227 

1,240 

1,254 

1,268 

1,281 

1,295 

1,309 

1,323 

' 

19 

1,337 

1,351 

1,365 

1,380 

1,394 

1,408 

1,423 

1,437 

1,452 

1,467 

I 

20 

1,481 

1,496 

1,511 

1.536 

1,541 

1,556 

1,572 

1,587 

1,602 

1,618 

< 

21 

1,633 

1,649 

1,665 

i;680 

1,696 

1,712 

1,728 

1,744 

1,760 

1,776 

< 

22 

1,792 

1,809 

1,825 

1,842 

1,858 

1,875 

1,892 

1,908 

1,925 

1,942 

23 

1,959 

1,976 

1,993 

2,011 

2,028 

2,045 

2,063 

2,080 

2,098 

2,116 

; 

24 

2,133 

2,151 

2,169 

2,187 

2,205 

2,223 

2,241 

2,260 

2,278 

2,296 

' 

25 

2,315 

5,333 

2.352 

2,371 

2,389 

2,408 

2,427 

2,446 

2,465 

2,484 

• 

26 

2,504 

2,523 

2,M2 

2,562 

2,581 

2,601 

2,621 

2,640 

2,660 

2,680 

; 

27 

2,700 

2,720 

2,740 

2,760 

2,781 

2,801 

2,821 

2,842 

2,862 

2,883 

28 

2,904 

2,924 

2,945 

2,966 

2,987 

3,008 

3,029 

3,051 

3,072 

3,093 

29 

3,115 

3,136 

3,158 

3,180 

3,201 

3,223 

3,245 

3,267 

3,289 

3,311 

30 

3,333 

3.356 

3,378 

3,400 

3,423 

3,445 

3,468 

3,491 

3.513 

3,536 

' 

31 

3,559 

3;582 

3,605 

3,628 

3,652 

3,675 

3,698 

3,722 

3;745 

3,769 

i 

32 

3,793 

3,816 

3,840 

3,864 

3,888 

3,912 

3,936 

3,960 

3,985 

4,009 

33 

4,033 

4,058 

4,082 

4,107 

4,132 

4,156 

4,181 

4,206 

4,231 

4,256 

] 

34 

4,281 

4,307 

4,332 

4,357 

4;383 

4,408 

4,434 

4,460 

4,485 

4,511 

i 

35 

4,537 

4,563 

4,589 

4,615 

4,641 

4,668 

4,694 

4,720 

4,747 

4,773 

\ 

36 

4,800 

4,827 

4,853 

4,880 

4,907 

4,934 

4,961 

4,988 

5,016 

5,043 

37 

5,070 

5,098 

5,125 

5,153 

5,181 

5,508 

5,236 

5,264 

5,292 

5,330 

38 

5,348 

5,376 

5,405 

5,433 

5.461 

5,490 

5,518 

5,547 

5,576 

5,604 

1 

39 

5,633 

5,662 

5,691 

5,720 

5,749 

5,779 

5,808 

5,837 

5,867 

5,896 

40 

5,926 

5,956 

5,985 

6,015 

6,045 

6,075 

6,105 

6,135 

6,165 

6,196 

41 

6,226 

6,256 

6,287 

6,317 

6,348 

6,379 

6,409 

6,440 

6,471 

6,502 

1 

42 

6,533 

6,564 

6,596 

6,627 

6,658 

6,690 

6,721 

6,753 

6,785 

6,816 

43 

6,848 

6,880 

6,912 

6,944 

6,976 

7,008 

7,041 

7,073 

7,105 

7,138 

44 

7,170 

7,203 

7,236 

7,268 

7,301 

7,334 

7,3ff7 

7,400 

7,433 

7,467 

45 

7,500 

7,533 

7,567 

7,600 

7,634 

7,668 

7,701 

7,735 

7,769 

7,803 

46 

7,837 

7,871 

7,905 

7,940 

7,974 

8,006 

8,043 

8,077 

8,112 

8,147 

47 

8,181 

8,216 

8,251 

•8,286 

8,321 

8,356 

8,392 

8,427 

8,462 

8,498 

48 

8,533 

8,569 

8,605 

8,640 

8,676 

8,712 

8,748 

8,784 

8,820 

8,856 

49 

8,893 

8,829 

8,965 

9,002 

9,038 

9,075 

9,112 

9,148 

9,185 

9,222 

50 

9,259 

9,296 

9,333 

9,371 

9,408 

9,445 

9,483 

9,520 

9,558 

9,596 

51 

9,633 

9,671 

9,709 

9,747 

9,785 

9,823 

9,861 

9,900 

9,938 

9,976 

52 

10,015 

10,053  10,092 

10,131 

10,169 

10,208 

10,347 

10,286 

10,325 

10,364 

53 

10,404 

10,443  10,482:10,522 

10,561 

10,601 

10,641 

10,680 

10,790 

10,760 

54 

10,800 

10,840  10,880 10,920|10,M61 

11,001 

11,041 

11,082 

11,122 

11,163 

55 

11,204 

11,244 

11,28511,326:11.367 

11,408 

11,449 

11491 

11,532 

11,573 

56 

11,615 

11,656 

11,69811,740  11,781 

11.823 

11,865 

11907 

11,949 

11,991 

57 

12,033 

12,076 

12,11812,160,12,203 

12;245 

12,288 

12,331 

12,374 

12,416 

58 
59 
60 

12,459 
12,893 

12,502 
12,936 
13,378 

12,545 
12,970 
13,422 

12,588 
13,014 
13.467 

12,632 
13,068 
,13,512 

12,675 
13,112 
13,556 

12,718 
13,1,% 
13,601 

12,762 
13.200 
13;646 

12,805 
13,245 
13,691 

12,849 
13,289 
13,736 

TABLE     No.     XXII. 

(  CONTINUED.   ) 
CONTENTS  OF  PllISMS  WITH  SQUARE  BASES. 


61 

62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
67 
68 
69 
70 
71 
72 
73 
74 


o 

c.yds. 


13,781 
14,237 
14,700 
15,170 
15,648 
16,133 
16,626 
17,126 
17,633 
18,148 
18,670 
19,200 
19,737 
\  20.281 
7520;833 
76i21,393 
77'2l,959 
78122,533 

79  23,115 

80  23,704 
8124,300 
82'-^,90t 
83^ 
84 


1 

c.  y<J». 


13,827 
14,283 
14,747 
15,218 
15,696 
16,182 
16,676 
17,176 
17,684 
18,200 
18,723 
19,253 
19,791 


2 

c.  yds. 


13,872 
14,329 
14,793 
15,265 
15,745 
16,231 
16,725 
17,227 
17,736 
18,252 
18,776 
19,307 
19,845 


86 

87 

88 

89 

90 

91 

92 

93 

94 

95 

96 

97 

98 

99 

100 

101 

102 

103 

104 

1(» 

106 

107 

108 

109 

110 

111 

112 

113 

114 

115 

116 

117 

118 

119 

120 

121 


26,822 
27,456 


28,747 


25,515 
26,133 
26,759 
27,393 
28,033 
28,681 
29,337 
30,000 
30,670 
31,348 
32,033 
32,726 
33,426 
34,133 
34,848l34;920 


20,336:20,391 
20,889  20,945 
21,449  21,505 
22,016122,073 
22,591 122,649 
23, 173|  23,232 
23,763i23,822 
24,360  24,420 
24,965'25,025 


3 

c.  yds. 


25,576 


25.638 


13,917 
14,375 

14,840 

15,313 

15,793 

16,280 

16,775 

17,277 

17,787 

18.304 

18,828 

19,360 

19,900 

20,446 

21,000 

21,562 

22,131 

22,707 

23,291 

23.882 

24,480 

25.086 


4 

c.  yds. 


13,963 

14,421 

14,887 

15,361 

15,841 

16,329 

16,825 

17,328 

17,838 

18.356 

I8;881 

19,414 

19.954 

20,501 

21,056 

21,618 

22,188 

22,765 

23,349 

23,941 

24,541 

25.147 


5 

c.  yds. 


26,196]  26,258 


26,885 
27,520 


28,098  28,162 


26,320 
26,948 

27,584 
28,227 


29,40329,469 


28,81228,877 


35,570 
36,300 
37,037 
37,781 
38,533 
39,293 
40,059 
40,833 
41,615 
42,404 
43,200 
44,004 
44,815 
45,633 
46,459 
47,293 
48,133 
48,981 
49,837 
50,700 
51,570 
52,448 
53,333 


30,067 
30,738 
31,416 
32,102 


32,796(32,865 
33,496  33,567 


34,20434,27634,347 


35,643 


36,37336,447 


37,111 
37,856 
38,609 
39,369 
40,136 
40,911 
41,693 
42,483 


44,08-4 
44;896 
45,716 
46,542 
47,376 
48,218 
49,067 
49,923 


51,658 
52,536 
53,422 


54,226'54,316 


30,133 
30,805 
31,485 
32,171 


25,70025,761 


29,535 
30,200 


26,383 
27,012 
27,648 
28.292 
28,943 
29,601 
30,267 


30,873  30,941 


14,008 
14,468 
14,934 
15,408 
15,890 
16,379 
16,875 
17,379 
17,890 
18,408 
18,934 
19.468 
2o:008 
20,556 
21,112 
21,675 
22,245 
22,823 
23,408 
24,001 
24,601 
25,208 
25,823 
26,445 
27,075 
27,712 
28,356 
29,008 
29,668 
30,334 
31,008 


6 

c.  yds. 


31,55331,62131,690 


34,992 
35,716 


37,185 
37,931 
38,685 
39,445 
40,213 
40,989 
41,772 
42,562 


35,064 
35,788 
36,520 
37,260 
38,006 
38,760 
39,522 
40,291 


43,280  43,360 


44, 165 
44,978 
45,798 
46,625 
47,460 
48,302 
49,152 
50,009 


50,78750,873 


151,745 
52,625 
53,511 
54.405 


32,240 
32,936 
33,637 


14,054 
14,514 

14,981 
15,456 
15,938 
16,428 
16,925 
17,429 
17,941 
18,461 
18,987 
19,521 
•20,063 
20,612 
21,168 
21,732 
22,303 
22,881 
23,467 
24,061 
24,661 
25,269 
25,885 
26,508 
27,138 
27,776 
28,421 
29,074 
29,734 
30,401 
31,076 
31,758 
32,448 
33,145 


35,86135,934 
36,594  36,668 
37,334j37,408 
38,081138,156 


38,836 
39,598 
40,368 


41,06741,145 


41.851 
42,642 
13,440 
44,246 


45,880 
46,708 
47,544 
48.387 
49;237 
50,095 
50,960 
51,833 
52,713 
53,600 
<  .54,495 


32,309  32,379 
33,006|33,075 
33,708!33,779  33,849 
34,4l8j34,490j34.56l 
36,136|35,208  3&;281 


•7 

e.  yds. 


14,100 
14.560 
15;028 
15,504 
15,987 
16,477 
16,975 
17,480 
17,993 
18,513 
19,040 
19,573 
20,117 
20,667 
21,224 
21,788 
22,360 


•8 

c.  yds. 


14,145 
14,607 
15,076 
15,552 
16,036 
16,527 
17.025 
17,531 
18,045 
18,565 
19,093 
19,629 
20,172 
20,722 
21,280 
21,845 
22,418 


c.  yds. 


22,940,22,998 
23,526  23,585 
24,120  24,186 
24,722  24,783 
25,33125,392 
25,94726,009 
26,57126,633 
27,202;  27,265 
27,905 
28,551 
29,205 
29,867 
30.536 


41,929 
42,721 
43,521 


38,912 
39,675 
40,445 
41,223 
42,008 
42,801 
43,601 


36,007 
36,741 
37.483 
38,232 

38,988 


44,327144,408 


27,840 

28,486 

29,140 

29,800 

30,4t« 

3l.l44|3l,212 

3i;827l3l,896 

32.517,32.587 

33,215  33;285 

33,92033,991 

34,633  34,705 

35,353  35,425 

36,080  36,153 


36,815 
37,557 
38,307 
39,064 


39,75239,828 


40,523 
41,301 

42,087 
42  881 
43;681 
44,489 


45,06045,141145,223:45,305 


45,963  46,045 '46,128 
46,792|46,875|46,958 


47,628J47,712|47,796  47,880^47,965 


48,47*48,556148,641 
49,32349,40849,494 
50,181150,268,50,354 
51.04751,134151,221 


51,920 
52,801 
53,689 
54,585 


52,008 
52,890 
53,779 


52,096 
52,978 

53,868 


54,675j54,765 


36.889 
371632 
38,382 
39,140 


40,600 
41,380 
42,166 
42,960 
43,762 


41,458 
42.245 


43,842 


44..57l!44,652 
45,387145,469 
46,21146,293 
47,04247,125 


48,736  48,811 
49,580  49,665 
50,440;50,527 
51,308  51,396 
52,184|52,272 
53,067:53, 156 
.53,957|54,04 


14,191 
14,653 
15,123 
15,600 
16.084 
16,576 
17,076 
17,582 
18,096 
18,618 
19,147 
19,683 
20,227 
20,778 
21,336 
21,902 
22,476 
23.056 
23;644 
24;240 
24,843 
25,453 
26,071 
26,696 
27,329* 
27,969 
28,616 
29,271 
29,933 
30,603 
31,280 
31,964^ 
32,656 
33.356 
34,062: 
34,776 
35,498 
36,227 
36,963 
37,707 
38,458 
39,216 


39,90539,982 
40,67840,756 


41,536 

42,324 


43,040  43,120 


43,923 

44,733 

45,551 

46,376 

47,209 

48,049' 

48,896 

49,751 

50,613^ 

51,483 

52,360 

53,244' 

54.136 


64,855  54,945l55,036- 


..>  ;...  ;'t.,>:^- 


.•^■»li-     v.'lTt>*' 


TABLE     No.     XXII. 

(  CONTINUED.  •) 
CONTENTS  OF  PRISMS  WITH  SftUARE  BABEa 


122 

123 

124 

125 

126 

127 

128 

129 

1.30 

131 

il32 

133 

134 

135 

136 

137 

138 

139 

140 

141 

142 

143 

144 

145 

146 

147 

148 

149 

150 

151 

152 

153 

154 

155 

156 

1.57 

158 

■159 

160 

161 

.162 

163 

164 

165 

166! 

1671 

168 

169; 

170 

I7l| 

1T2 

173 

174 

175 

176 

177! 

178 

179 

180 

181 

182' 


0 

c.  yd*. 


55,12(> 

56,033 

56,948 

57,870 

58,800 

59,737 

60,681 

61,633 

62,593 

63,559 

64,533 

65,515 

66,504 

67,500 

68,504 

69,515 

70,533 

71,559 

72,593 

73,633 

74,681 

75,737 

76,800 

77.870 

78;948 

80,033 

81,126 

82,226 

83,333 

84,448 

85;570 

86,700 

87,837 

88,981 

90,133 

91,293 

92,459 

93,633 

94,815 

96,004 

97,200 

98,404 

99,615 

100,833 

102,159 

103,293 

101,533 

105.781 

107,037 

108,300 

109,570 

110,848 

112,133 

113,426 

114,726 

116.0331 

117;348 

118,670 

120,000; 

121,337 

122,6811 


1 

c.  yds. 


55,216 
56,124 
57,040 
57,963 
58,893 
59,831 
60,776 
61,729 
62,689 
63,656 
64,631 
6.5,613 
66,603 
67,600 
68,604 
69,616 
70,636 
71,662 
72,696 
73,738 
74,787 
75,843 
76,907 
77,978 
79,056 
80,142 
61,236 
82,336 
83,444 
84,560 
85,683 
86,813 
87,951 
89,096 
90,249 
91,409 
92,576 
93,751 
94,933 
96,123 
97,320 
98,524 
99,736 
100,9.56 
102,182 

iavi6 

104,658 
105,907 
107,163 
108,427 
109,698 
110,976 
112,262 
113,556 
114,856 
116,164 
117,480 
118,803 
120,133 
121,471 
122,816 


■2 

c.  yds. 

"55,307 
56,216 
57.132 

58;056 

58.987 

59;925 

60,871 

«1,825 

62,785 

63,753 

64,729 

65,712 

66,702 

67,700 

68,705 

69,718 

70,738 

71,765 

72,800 

73,842 

74,892 

75,949 

77,013 

■^,08.5 

79,165 

80,251 

81,345 

82,447 

83,556 

84,672 

85,796 

86,927 

«8,065 

89,211 

90,365 

91,525 

92,693 

93,869 

95,052 

96,242 

^7,440 

98,645 

99,858 

101.078 

102,305 

103,540 

104,782 

106,032 

107,289 

108,5.53 

109,825 

111,105 

112,391 

113,685 

114,987 

116,296 

117,612 

118.936 

120,267 

121,605 

122,951 


3 

c.  yds. 

"55,397 
56,307 
57,224 

58,148 
59,080 
60,020 
60,966 
61,920 
62,882 
63,851 
64,827 
65,811 
66,802 
67,800 
68,806 
69,820 
70,840 
71,868 
72,904 
73,947 
74,997 
76,055 
77,120 
78,193 
79,273 
80,360 
81,455 
82,557 
83,667 
84,784 
85,908 
87.040 
88;i80 
89.326 
90;480 
91,642 
•92,811 
93,987 
95,171 
96,362 
97,560 
-98,766 
99,980 
101,200 


4 

c.  yds. 

"55"^ 
56,398 
57,316 
58,241 
59,174 
60,114 
61,061 
62,016 
62,978 
63,948 
64,925 
65,909 
66,901 
67,901 
68,907 
69,92i 
70,943 
71,972 
73,008 
74,052 
75,103 
76,161 
77,227 
78,301 
79,381 
^0,469 
81,565 


5 

yds. 


55,579 
56,490 
57,408 
58.334 
591268 
60;208 
61,156 
62,112 
63,075 
64,045 
65,023 
66,008 
67,001 
68,001 
•69,008 
70,023 
71,045 
72,075 
73,112 
74,156 
75,208 
76,268 
77,334 
78,408 
79,490 
80,579 
81,675 
62;668i  82,779 
83,778  83,890 


84,896  85,008 
86,021  86,134 
87,154  87,268 
88,294 

89,441    89,556 

90,.596   90,712 

91,758   91,875 

92,928  53,045 

94,105   94,223 

95.289   95,408 

96,481    96,601 

'97,681    97,801 

98,887  99,008 

100,101  100,223 

101.323  101,445 

102,428]  102;552  102,675 

103,664  103,788103,912 


104,907 

10<J,15" 
107,415 
108,680 
109.953 
lli;2.33 
112,520 
113,815 
115,117 
116,427 
117.744 
119,068 
120,400 


105,032105,256 
106,283  106,408 


107,541 
108.807 
110,081 
111,361 
112,649 
113,945 
115,248 
116,558 
117,876 
119,201 
120,534 


121 ,740;  121, 874 
123,086' 123,221 


107,668 
108,934 
110,208 
111,490 
112,779 
114,075 
115,379 
116,690 
118,008 
119.334 
120,668 
122,008 
123,356 


6 

c.  yds, 

^57669 
56,581 
57,501 
58,427 
59,361 
60,303 
61,252 
62,208 
63,172 
64.143 
65,121 
■€6,107 
67,101 
68,101 
69,109 
70,125 
71,148 
72,178 
73,216 
74,261 
75,314 
76,374 
77,441 
78,516 
79,598 
80,088 
81,785 
82:889 
84;001 
85,121 
86,247 
87,381 
88,523 
89,672 
90,828 
91,992 
93,163 
91,341 
95,527 
96,721 
97,921 
99,129 
100.345 


•7 
c.  yds. 


55,760 

56,673 

57,593 

58,520 

59,455 

60,397 

61,347 

62.304 

63i268 

64,240 

65,220 

66,206 

67,200 

68,202 

09,210 

70,227 

71,251 

72,282 

73,320 

74,366 

75,420 

76,480 

77,548 

78,624 

79,707 

80,797 

81,895 

83,000 

84,112 

85,233 

86,360 

87,495 

88,637 

89,787 

90,944 

92,108 

93,280 

94,460 

95,646 

96,840 

98,042 

99,251 
100,467 
101.568J  101,691 
102,798,102,922 
104,036  iW,  160 
I05.38l'l05,406 
106,534  106,660  106,785 
107,794' 107,920  108,047 
109,0611109,188    "    ■ 
110,336' 110,464 


111,618 
112,908 
114,205 
115,509 
116,821 
118,141 
119,467 
801 
143 


111,747 
113,037 
114,335 
115,640 
116,953 
118,273 
119,600 
120,935 
122,277 
I23,492i  123,62'; 


•8 

c.  yds.  , 

55,851 
56,765 
57,685 
58,613 
59.549 
60^492 
61,442 
62,400 
63,365 
64,338 
65,318 
66,305 
67,300 
68,302 
69.312 
70,329 
71,353 
72,385 
73,425 
74,471 
75,525 
76,587 
77,656 
78,732 
79,816 
80,907 
82,005 
83,111 
84,225 
85,345 
86,473 
87,609 
88,752 
89,902 
91,060 
92,225 
93,398 
94,578 
95,765 
96,960 
98,162 
99,372 
100.589 
101,813 
103,045 
104.285 
105,531 


9. 

yd.. 


109,316 
110,592 
111,876 
113,167 
114,465 
115,771 
117,085 
118,405 
119,733 
121,069 
122,412 
123,762 


55,942 
56,856 
57,778 
58,707 
59,643 
60,587 
61,538 
62,496 
63,462 
64,436 
65,416 
66,404 
67,400 
68.403 
69;413 
70,431 
71,456 
72,489 
73,529 
74,576 
75,631 
76,693 
77,763 
78,840 
79,924 
81,016 
82,116 
83,222 
84,336 
85,458 
86,587 
87,723 
88,867 
90,018 
91,176 
92,342 
93,516 
94,696 
95,884 
97,080 
98,283 
99,493 
100,711 
101,936 
103,169 
104,409 
105,656 
106,911 
108,173 
109,443 
110,720 
112,004 
113,296 
114,5% 
115,902 
117,216 
118,538 
119,867 
121,203 
128,547 
123,896 


^MB. 


TABLE    Wo.     XX  li. 

(continued.  ) 
contents  of  prisms  with  square  bakes. 


.  yd«. 


183124,033 
184  134,393 


185  126,7591126,896 


1 

yd*. 


104,169 
125,529 


186 138,133 

187  129,515 

188  130,904 

189  132,300 
19^133,704 

135,115 
136^33 
137,959 
194!  139,393 
195:140,833 


191 
192 
193 


128,271 
12I>,653 
131,043 
132,440 
133,844 
135,256 
136,676 
138,102 
139,536 
140,978 


2 

e.  jit. 


196i  142,281  142,427 


197 
196 
199 
200 


143,737 
145,200 
146,670 
148,148 


143,883 
145,347 
146,818 
148,296 


124,305 
125,665 
127,033 
128,409 
129,792 
131,182 
132,580 
133,985 
135,388 
136,818 
138,^5 
139,680 
141,122 
142,572 
144,029 
145,493 
146,9(J5 
148,445 


3 

yd*. 


124,404 
125,802 
127,171 
128,447 
129,931 
131,322 
132,720 
134,126 
135,540 
136,960 
138,388 
139,824 
141,267 


4 

yd.. 


142,717  142,823 


144,175 
145,640 
147,113 
148,593 


124,576 
125,938 
127,308 
128,685 
130,069 
131,461 
132,861 
134,267 
I35,68r 
137,103 
138,532 
139,968 
141,412 


144,321 

145,787 
147,261 
148,741 


e.  yd». 


124,712 
126,075 
127,445 
128,823 
130,208 
131,601 
133,001 
134,408 
135,823 
137,245 
138,675 
140,112 
141,556 
143,008 
144,468 
145,934 
147,408 
148,890|149,088 


c.  yid*. 

126,212 

127,583 

128,961 

130,347 

131,741 

133,141 

134,549 

135,966 

137,388 

138;818 

140,256 

141,701 

143,164 

144,614 

146,081 

147,556 


•7 

c.  yda. 

r24,984 
126,348 
127,720 
129,100 
130,486 
131,880 
133,282 
134,691 
136,107 
137,531 
138,962 
140,400 
141,846 
143.300 
144,760 
146,228 
147,704 
149,187 


•  -8 

c.  yd.. 


125,120 

126,485 

127,858 

129,238 

130,625 

132,030 

133'422 

134,832 

136,249 

137,673 

139,105 

140,545 

141,991 

143,445 

144,907 

146,376 

147,852 

149^ 


9. 

e.  yds. 

125,256 

126,622 

127,996 

129,373^ 

130,764 

132,16a 

133,563 

134,973 

136,391 

137,816 

139,249 

140,689 

142,136 

143,591 

145,053 

146,523 

148,000 

149,484 


'- " 

....            .      /  1   ;  ■ 

".-  >■" 

y  " 

^v.- 

/  •  ■ 

:. . ', " 

-  v.r:.  ,/,-->t  ■-.•"* 

N 

•  I 

!"■    .'..',:   '  '. 

s-%-.. 


.■f  '■ 


'«5-<- -*■-«•  /pu^-£,-'^^- 


97 


TABLE    No.    XXIII. 

SLOPE    i   TO    1. 


Greater  and  le««er 
areas. 


1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 

13 
14 
15 

16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
26 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 


0022 

0044 

0067 

■0091 

0114 

0139 

0164 

0189 

0215 

0242 

0269 

0297 

•0326 

•0356 

•0387 

•0418 

•0451 

■0485 

•0520 

■0556 

•0594 

0633 

■0674 

•0716 

•0760 

•0806 

•0855 

•0905 

•0959 

•1015 

•1074 

■1136 

■1202 

■1272 

•1347 

•1426 

•1512 

•1603 

•1701 

•1807 

•1922 

•2047 

•2184 

2334 

•2500 

•2684 

•2890 

•3122 

•3385 


Dif. 

11 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
13 
13 
13 
14 
14 
15 
15 
15 
16 
16 
17 
18 
18 
19 
20 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
•2 
28 
30 
31 
33 
35 
37 
40 
43 
46 
49 
53 
58 
63 
68 
75 
83 
92 
103 
116 
132 


a 

^22 

0043 

0064 

■0085 

0105 

0125 

■0145 

•0164 

•0184 

•0203 

•0222 

■0240 

•0259 

■0277 

•0295 

•0314 

•0332 

•0349 

■0367 

■0385 

■0403 

■0420 

•0438 

■0455 

■0473 

■0490 

•0508 

•0525 

■0543 

■0560 

•0578 

•0595 

•0613 

•0631 

•0648 

■0666 

■0684 

■0702 

0721 

■0739 

■0757 

•0776 

•0795 

■0814 

•0833 

•0853 

■0873 

■0893 

■0913 


Dif. 


10 

11 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 


A-a 


0000 

■0002 

0004 

■0006 

■0010 

■0014 

•0019 

•0026 

0032 

•0039 

•0048 

•0057 

•0068 

0079 

•0091 

■0105 

•0120 

0136 

•0153 

•0171 

•0191 

■0213 

•0236 

•0261 

•0287 

•0316 

■0347 

•0380 

•0416 

■0455 

•0496 

•0541 

•0589 

•0642 

•0699 

■0760 

■0827 

0901 

•0981 

1068 

1165 

1271 

1389 

1520 

1667 

1832 

2018 

2230 

2472 


Dif. 

1 

1 
1 

2; 
2i 
3 
3 
3 
4 
4 
5i 
51 

6; 

61 

I 

81 

9: 

91 

12 
12 
13 
14 

A 

18 

19i 

21| 

22! 

24 

26, 

28^ 

31 

34 

37 

40 

44 

48 

53 

59 

66 

73 

82I 

93 

106 

121 


Greater  and  lewer~ 
Horizontal  dittancei. 


5044 
•5089 
■5135 
■5181 
5229 
•5277 
•5327 
•5378 
•5430 
•5484 
•5538 
5595 
•5653 
•5712 
•5774 
•5837 
•5902 
•5970 
•6040 
•6112 
•6188 
•6266 
•6347 
•6432 
•6520 
•6613 
•6709 
■6811 
•6917 
•7029 
•7147 
•7272 
•7404 
•7545 
•7694 
•7853 
•80-23 
•8205 
•8402 
•8614 
•8844 
•9094 
•9368 
•9668 
■0000 
•0368 
■0780 
•1244 
1770 


\ 
Dif. 

23 

23 

23 

24 

21 

25 

26 

26 

27 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

39 

41 

43 

44 

47 

48 

51 

53 

56 

59 

63 

66 

71 

75 

80 

85 

91 

99 

106 

115 

125 

137 

150 

166 

184 

206 

232 

263 


y 

•■^57 
■4914 
■4872 
■4831 
■4790 
•4750 
4711 
•4672 
•4633 
•4595 
•4557 
•4520 
•4483 
•4446 
•4409 
•43T3 
•4337 
•4301 
4266 
•4230 
•4195 
•4160 
•4125 
•4090 
4055 
•4020 
•3985 
•3950 
3915 
3880 
•3845 
•3810 
•3774 
•3739 
•3703 
■3668 
•3632 
•3595 
•3559 
•3522 
•3485 
•3448 
•3410 
•3372 
•3333 
•3294 
•3255 
•3215 
•3174 


DiT 

22 

21 

20 

20 

20 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 


Y4-y 


10001 

10003 

10007 

10012 

10019 

10027 

10038 

10050 

10063 

10079 

10095 

10115 

10136 

10158 

10183 

10210 

10239 

1^0271 

10306 

10342 

10383 

10426 

10472 

1-0522 

10575 

10633 

10694 

10761 

10832 

10909 

10992 

11082 

11178 

11284 

11397 

11521 

11655 

11800 

11961 

1-2136 

12329 

1-2542 

1-2778 

13040 

13333 

13662I 

14035 

14459 

1-4944| 


Dif. 


i 

6 
6 

7 
8 
9 

m 
11 
121 

13 
14 
15 
16 

181 
1 


22; 
23i 

29| 
31 
34| 
36) 
39j 
42 
45 
48' 
531 
571 
62 
67 
73 
81 

88; 

97 
I07i 
118, 
131 
147 
165 
187 
217 
243 


Side 
distances. 


Great- 
er. 


■505 

■509 

•514 

•519 

•5-25 

■531 

■537 

•543 

•550 

•55 

•564 

•572 

■580 

■589 

■597 

•607 

•617 

•628 

•639 

651 

•663 

•676 

•690 

•704 

•720 

•736 

•753 

•771 

•791 

■812 

■834 

■858 

■883 

•910 

•939 

•971 

1005 

1^041 

1081 

1125 

1  172 

1-224 

1-281 

1344 

1414 

1493 

1-581 

1-681 

1-794 


Lea- 
ser. 

496 
492 
■488 
484 
481 
478 
475 
472 
469 
467 
•464 
462 
460 
■458 
457 
455 
454 
452 
451 
■460 
449 


449  22 


448 
448 
447 
447 
447 


44728 
448  29 

448  30 

449  31 
449  32 


23 
24 
25 
26 

27 


450 
451 
■452 
453 


45537 


•456 

•458 
460 
■462 
464 
466 
469 
471 
474 
477 
481 
484 


38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
46 
46 
47 
48 
49 


Y 


/\ 


:■  ■' 


;i.. 


J 

..Ok 


TABLE    No.     XXIV 

SLOPE     1    TO    1. 


Gieater  and  leiaec 
areas. 


1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 


■0089 
•0181 
•0277 
•0376 
•0479 
•0587 
•0700 
•0818 
•0941 
•1070 
•1206 
•1350 
•1501 
•1661 
•1830 
.•2010 
•2202 
•2407 
•2626 
•2861 
•3115 
•3390 
•3686 
•4013 
•4369 
•4761 
•5194 
•5677 
•6219 
•6830 
•7527 
•8329 
•9-262 
10361 
11679 
1-3284 
1-5289 
1-7861 
31286 
2-6075 
3-3252 
45203 
6-9091 
14-0725 


Dif. 


0086 


§01G9 
''"lolOSio. 


56 
59 
6-2 
65 
68 
72 
76 
80 
85 
90| 
961 


A — a 


Dif. 


•*^-0476l^« 
0M7!g 

•0610!:^? 
■ofs-i!:^* 

•0750"^'^ 


■0814 
■0877 
0938.^ 


3-21 
31 
31 

:io> 


?gl226g 

j(4l387';2 
1?Z^143Q^^ 


149 
163! 

I78j, 
I96i 
217j, 
242J 


1439L- 

1540^, 
1590' 
1639 

1688 


26 
•25 
25 

1-251 
-24 

27ll.{S§-24 

•^<^'l830;^i 

•1877!.,^ 
1923j.1| 
1969!r^ 
2014L„ 
2059!^ 
2104*^^ 


318 
401 
467 
550 
659 
803 
•1002 
-1286 


45tofinite. 


«■ 
I 


2149 

-I7l3j|.^^ 

:S-2281 
.^^12325 

19441..^^ 

'■^^1-2456 
1-2500 


l-"*,' 


22 
i-22 
22 
'^ 
22 
22 
22 
22 
22 


-0003 
-0012 

-00-281 

•0019! 

-0077| 

-011-2 

-01.531 

■0202,' 

•0-257 

-0321 

-03931 

•0173 

-0563 

-0663 

•0774 

•0890 

•103ll 

-1I80! 

•i:i45l 

-15271 

-1728! 

•195l! 

•2198 

•247^ 

•27791 

•3121 

•3507 

•39421 

•44351 

-5000 

•5650 

•frl06 

-7293 


Greater  and  lesser 
Horizontal  distanceit. 


•8347 
•9619 
11180 
1-3140 
1-5668 
1-9049 
2-3794 
30927 
4^2834 
6-6678 
13-8-269 


5 
^ 
11 
14 
1 
21 
•24 
28 
32 
36 
40 
45 
50 
55 
61 
68 
75 
82 
91 
101 
111 
123 
137 
153 
171 
193 
218 
247 
282 
325 
378 
4M 
527 
636 
781 
980 
1264 
1690 
2373 
3.566 
5954 


Dif. 


10178 
1-0362 
lO.'wJ 
1-0752 
1-0959 
1-1175 
11400 
1  1635 
11882 
1-2141 
12413 
1-2699 
1-3002 
1-3321 
1-3660 
1-4020 
14404 
1-4813 
1-5-252' 
157-23 
16230 
16779 
1-7:^5 
1  ■80-26 
1-8737 
10521 
20388 
21354 
2-2437 
2-3660 
2-5051 
2-6657 
2-8523! 
3-07-23 
33357 
3-6569 
40577 
4  5722 
5-2572 
6-2150 
7-6503 
q2Jl00406 

5795  ii'^'^^ 
^'^^29-1450 

infinite 


D. 


go -9828  33 
q..]-9663^j 

?9i:|^^ 

JSJI-9f%!25 

^1-9049153 

118!.2x^j69 

123j.Q™qoi68i 

129 

136 


J. 
olf. 


143 
151 

160 
169 
180 

192 
2051 
219 
236i 


'8633; /;/.i 
850l|^^i 

-8247^1 
-8124S 
•8004!^§i 
■7887?^ 
■7772'?2 
7659|J 
7548?^ 
7439|* 


7332; 
'226'; 


254!I^^;53 

275 
298 
325 


'**"59 
7122  ^f 

-7020r/,i 

35<5i6919g^! 


6434!j^ 
-6340j'| 
-6247^11! 

6154!^^! 
-6063!?''! 

1606,1^45: 

5703!*^^ 

34-25it^ol44 

5437** 

5350 

5-262 

5175 

5087 

5OOO1 


392 
434 

483 
541 
612 
697 
802 
933 
1100 
1317 


2004 
2572! 


4789 
7176 
1951 
3888 
1634 


2-0006 
20025 
20055 
2-0098 
20154 
2-0223 
2-0306 
204031 
2-0515 
2-0642! 
20785 
2-0946 
2-1126 
21326 
2-154 
21792 
2-2062 
2-2361! 
2-2690! 
2-3054| 
2-3456| 
2-39021 
2-4396; 
24945! 
2-5557 
2-62431 
2-7013' 
2-78831 
2-8871 
3-OOOOi 
3-13011 
,  3-28121 
:  3-4586! 
3-66951 
3-9-239 
4-2361 
4-6280 
5-1336 
5-8097 
6-7588 
8-1853 
105668 
15-3356 


Side 
distances. 


Great- 
er. 


Let- 
ter. 


•983 
967 
952 
937 
923 
910 
■897 
•885 
874 
863 
-853 


44I29-6537J 
linfinite 


1-018 

1-037 

1-057 

1078 

1100 

1124 

1149 

1175 

1203 

1-233 

1-264 

1-298-843 

1-334  834 

1-373-825 

1-414-816 

1-459-808 

1-506  801 

1-559-794 

1-613-787 

1-673-780 

1-73W-774 

1-810-768 

1-888-762 

1-973-757 

2-067;-752 

2-1721-748 

2-288'-743 

2-418;-739 

2-5661-736 

2-732'-732 

2923-729 

3- 1431-726 

3  4011-7-23 

370.5-720 

4-072-718 

4-5201,-716 

5-081-714 

580a^712 

5  765-711 

8-113  710 


10 

15 

22 

28 

35 

4^ 

49 

56 

64 

72 

81 

90 
100 
111 
123 
135 
150 
165 
18-2 
201 
223 
217 
275 
306 
343 
385 
435 
494 
565 
651 
756 
8S7 
•1055 
•1272 
•1561 
•1960 
2528 
•3381 
•4746 

7^10137-709 
^^  13  511  -708 
V^^  30-261-708 
^^^^  40  5161-707 
infin.  '-707 


^ 
lAi 


TABLE     No.     XXY. 

SLOPE    1^   TO    1. 


1:  • 


i5 

S  o 
O  o 

s 


Hcg 


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i(M  «foeoeo 


,-i-^r-i-H-ic:<c»(y}eo^«o-< 


-^C»C0'*i0Ot-X0J©'-<(SIC0-^«050t~X05 


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TABLE     No.    XXVI. 

8LOPK   2   TO    1, 


■S99lS3(J 


.-ic<e»s-*»o«oc-aoo»o-^c»e»jT>>«ntD<^cD055j-<c>» 


S^'J^S^SSoJ 


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to  « 


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+ 


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CJrOTfkO^i^QOCJOF-ojeotin'Xii-aoCTsOr- 


§o5SS?S!c»  c* 


^•rilJ 


.       .  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Report.  .riJ0. 

BJEPORT   OF   THE   PHlLADELrHIA   AND   READING   RAILROAD   COWANY. 

To  the  Stockholders  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company. 

The  finances  of  the  company  at  the  commeacement  of  the  last  yetr  were 
in  a  state  of  great  embarrassment.   ^ 

The  first  object  of  the  managers  was  to  raise  a  moderate  sum  of  money, 
on  a  temporary  loan,  to  discharge  a  per  centage  of  the  pressing  claims  on 
the  company,  and  to  pay  cash  for  expenses  and  further  construction.  Tins 
was  done.  The  credit  of  the  company  was  sensibly  improved,  and  large 
reductions  were  made  in  the  prices  of  wages,  and  of  materials  used  on  the 
road. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  shipments  of  coal  had  usually  been  discontinued 
about  the  1st  of  December,  and  not  resumed  until  about  the  1st  of  April  fol- 
lowing, the  quantity  of  coal  transported  in  the  months  of  January  and  Feb- 
ruary was  small.  In  March  a  material  improvement  took  place,  and  in 
April  the  trade  was  only  limited  by  the  engines  and  cars,  want  of  additional 
track  and  turnouts,  and  Uie  wharf  accommodation  then  possessed  by  tl^e 
company.  * '  /rf 

To  provide  these  additional  facilities  for  the  increasing  transportation,  to 
repay  the  temporary  loan,  and  to  continue  the  gradual  discharge  of  pressing 
claims  on  the  company,  a  loan  to  the  amount  of  $500,000  was  obtained  in 
May  last,  on  an  issue  of  bonds  secured  by  a  mortgage,  as  authorized  by  the 
stockholders  10th  of  June,  1836. 

In  July,  o\ving  to  the  additional  machinery  on  the  road,  and  the  greater 
efficiency  of  the  track  and  wharves,  the  coal  traffic  was  still  further  in- 
creased, and  since  then  has  been  rapidly  enlarged,  as  the  annexed  statement 
of  transportation  receipts  will  show. 

Accompanying  this  is  a  report  of  the  superintendant  of  transportation, 
giving  statements  of  the  various  expenditures  in  his  department ;  and  also  a 
report  of  the  engineer  of  the  road,  of  the  expense  of  repairs  of  track,  bridges, 
etc.,  and  its  present  good  condition,  both  of  which  exhibit  a  very  satisfactory 
state  of  efficiency  of  the  road  and  of  its  moving  power. 

The  experience  of  last  year's  operation  on  the  road  having  so  entirely 
confirmed  the  opinion  of  the  importance  of  an  entire  double  track,  and  an 
extension  of  the  wharves  at  Richmond,  a  successful  effort  has  been  made  to 
accomplish  this  object  by  the  negotiation  of  a  loan  to  raise  the  sum  of  one 
million  of  dollars,  for  which  the  managers  have  agreed  to  give  the  bonds  of 
the  company,  secured  by  a  new  mortgage,  to  be  made  payable  in  1860 ;  in- 
terest at  six  per  cent,  per  annum,  and  convertible  into  stock  at  the  option  of 
the  holder.  Measures  have  been  taken  to  complete  the  work  at  the  earliest 
possible  period.  When  this  is  done,  and  an  additional  number  of  cars  and 
engines,  which  are  also  to  be  provided,  are  placed  on  the  road,  this  great 
work  will  be  powerfully  effective  and  capable  of  doing  a  largely  increased 
business :  and  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  add,  that  I  have  found  a  strong  desire 
among  the  dealers  in  coal,  produce  and  merchandize,  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  use  of  the  road,  if  extended  facilities  are  given  them  for  transportation. 

In  the  month  of  March  last,  a  temporary  mortgage  as  collateral  security, 
was  executed  to  cover  the  amount  of  $212,635,  which  will  be  due  in  June, 
1845,  for  the  450  coal  cars  and  12  locomotive  engines  furnished. 

When  the  loan  of  May  last  was  agreed  on,  it  was  deemed  expedient  and 
proper  by  the  managers  to  increase  that  mortgage  to  an  amount  which  would 
raise  such  further  means  as  might  be  required  to  settle  or  pay  off  still  more 
of  the  floating  debt,  and  enable  the  company  to  make  such  further  improve- 
ments on  the  road  as  were  needed ;  accordingly,  the  mortgage  wa.s  executed 
to  cover  the  issue  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  sterling 


§3  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Report. 

bonds,  aitd  six  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  dollar  bonds,  payable  in  1860, 
with  interest  at  six  per  cent.,  and  convertible  into  stock  at  the  option  of  the 
holder.     Of  these,  there  has  been  issued  for  sales  and  as  collaterals, 
Of  sterling  bonds,  -   .  '      -  •  £157,000 

Of  dollar  bonds,        -  -  -  -      $251,500 

leaving  now  on  hand,  in  possession  of  the  treasurer,  £68,000  of  sterling 
bonds,  and  $348,500  of  dollar  bonds,  for  any  purposes  which  may  be  required. 

I  submit  herewith  a  statement  of  the  liabilities  of  the  company  made  by 
S.  Bradford,  Esq.,  secretary  and  treasurer,  which,  having  increased  materi- 
ally over  that  of  last  year,  calls  for  the  following  explanations. 

The  critical  position  of  the  company  in  1842,  and  the  unfinished  state  of 
the  road,  obliged  the  managers  then  to  raise  money  at  great  sacrifices,  for 
which  bonds  have  been  issued  the  past  year,  according  to  their  agreement. 

The  improvements  on  the  road,  and  general  extension  of  its  capacity  and 
moving  power,  which  has  been  going  on  through  the  whole  of  the  past  year, 
have  necessarily  materially  increased  the  items  of  "  construction  account," 
and  "  locomotive  engines  and  cars."  '.-  • 

The  still  large  amount  of"  notes  payable,"  notwithstanding  the  very  con- 
siderable sum  paid  this  year  in  cash,  is  accounted  for  by  a  large  portion  of 
the  judgments  represented  in  last  year's  ballance  sheet  and  part  of  the  loan 
due  in  1843,  being  this  year  merged  into  "  notes  payable,"  and  by  numerous 
settlements  with  contractors,  and  for  land  damages,  etc.,  which,  till  this  year, 
it  has  not  been  in  the  power  of  the  company  to  make  an  adjustment  of,  now 
largely  reduced. 

"The  "  bonds  and  mortgages  on  real  estate"  existed  previous  to  the  last 
year.  To  represent  the  true  cost  of  this  property,  the  amount  is  now  charged 
on  "  real  estate"  account. 

The  "drafts  payable"  have  been  reduced  from  $102,170,  on  December  1, 
1842,  to  $26,955,  December  1,  1843,  which  will  soon  be  liquidated. 

I  have  to  state  that  a  settlement  was  effected  in  April  last  of  the  large 
debt  to  the  trustees  of  the  bank  of  the  United  States,  at  a  gain  to  the  com- 
pany, of  $75,000. 

The  officers  and  agents  of  the  company  in  their  respective  departments, 
have  fulfilled  their  duties  in  a  manner  which  has  been  gratifying  to  me,  and 
1  trust  that  the  general  management  of  this  important  work  the  past  year, 
during  which  it  has  been  raised  from  a  position  of  great  depression,  to  its 
present  effective  state,  will  meet  the  approval  of  those  interested  in  it 

Very  respectfully,  ^^ 

January  3,  1844.  John  Cryder,  President.  * 


To  the  President  and  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Redd- 
ing Railroad  Company. 

Gentlemen — The  following  report  of  the  operations  on  the  road,  during 
the  eleven  months  ending  November,  30th,  of  the  present  year,  of  its  busi- 
ness and  its  machinery,  is  respectfully  submitted. 

The  business  of  the  road  in  its  most  important  feature,  the  transportation 
of  coal,  has  been  almost  wholly  dependant  upon,  and  proportioned  to,  the 
increase  of  track  facilities,  and  of  machinery,  engines  and  cars,  furnished 
for  that  purpose,  during  the  present  year. 

In  the  last  report  of  the  general  superintendant,  of  December  31st,  1842, 
there  were  on  the  road,  at  that  date,  1130  coal  cars,  and  16  coal  engines ; 
these  numbers  have  been  increased  to  1592  coal  cars,  during  the  months  of 
May  and  June  of  this  year,  and  to  30  locomotive  engines,  adapted  to  hauling 
coal,  between  the  months  of  June  and  September,  1843. 


■.-(■'L■:■^t..^:■.'-' 


Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Report.  W 

Statement  A  will  show  in  detail  the  force  of  machinery  at  present  on  the 
road. 

The  quantity  of  coal  hauled  over  the  road  to  June  30th,  before  the  ma- 
chinery had  been  increased  to  its  present  force,  and  the  track  and  wharves 
made  more  effective,  amounted  to  62,099  tons;  since  which  time,  to  the 
present  date,  a  period  of  five  months,  the  coal  tonnage  has  risen  to  156,612 
tons,  making  a  total  of  218,711  tons  of  coal  transported  to  market  during 
the  eleven  calender  months  ending  November  30th,  1843. 

The  efficiency  of  the  road  in  passing,  with  expedition  and  safety,  coal, 
freight  and  passenger  trains,  moving  in  opposite  directions,  has  been  very 
materially  increased  by  the  completion,  in  July  last,  of  10  miles  of  double 
track,  extending  fiom  Baumstown  to  one  mile  above  Reading.  ":  - 

Statement  C  exhibits  in  detail  the  expenses  of  the  transportation  department 
of  the  road,  and  statement  D,  the  apportionment  of  these  expenses  to  the 
several  items  of  business  on  the  road — coal,  freight  and  passengers. 

It  will  be  observed,  from  the  latter  statement,  that  the  actual  cost  of  haul- 
ing coal  from  the  mines  to  the  Delaware,  including  returning  the  empty  cars 
has  been,  during  the  year,  but  46  cents  per  ton.  This  has  been  much 
higher  than  may  be  calculated  on  for  the  future,  for  the  following  reasons : 

1st.  The  inferior  quality  of  construction  of  most  of  the  coal  cars  built  for 
the  company,  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  haste  with  which  they  were 
constructed,  causing  an  unnecessary  frequency  of  accident  from  breaking 
axles,  etc.,  and  a  serious  increase  in  their  repairs. 

2d.  The  comparatively  small  and  uncertain  business  done  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year,  which  consequently  increased  the  cost  of  carriage  per  ton, 
from  engines  failing  to  obtain  trains  from  either  end  of  the  line,  and  running 
in  some  cases  with  loads  below  their  allotted  compliments. 

3d.  From  the  expense,  direct  and  indirect,  attending  the  employment  of 

12  new  engines,  built  by  the  Locks  and   Canals   Co.,  each  of  these  being 

placed  in  the  heavy  business  of  the  road,  immediately  on  being  put  together, 

and,  on  several  occasions,-  failing  when  on  duty,  from  defective  arrangements, 

.  and  quality  of  some  of  the  lighter  gearing. 

4th.  From  the  short  period,  (the  last  three  months  only.)  during  which 
.  there  has  been  employed  a  new  system  of  working  the  road,  by  which  the 
maximum  effect  of  all  its  machinery  and  track  facilities  was  obtained,  with 
an  evident  economy  resulting. 

6th.  The  greater  proportion  of  light  six  wheeled  engines,  in  the  first  six 
months  of  the  year,  compared  with  the  whole  number  in  the  latter  part ;  the 
former  hauling  lighter  trains,  and  consequently  increasing  the  cost  per  ton 
.  of  coal. 

Lastly.  Tiie  greater  experience  gained  by  the  year's  working  of  the  road 
and  its  machinery,  pointing  out  where  improvements  or  alterations  may  be 
'  made  with  advantage  and  economy,  in  either  the  general  features  or  minute 
detail^f  the  important  work  under  your  direction. 

From  the  above  considerations,  it  is  confidently  believed  that  the  cost 
of  hauling  coal  per  ton,  during  the  ensuing  year,  1844,  will  not  exceed  40 
.cents. 

On  a  comparison,  it  is  found  that  the  receipts  from  passengers  for  the 
present  year,  amount  to  but  77  per  cent,  of  those  of  1842.  This  falling  off, 
:  however,  has  been  materially  checked  by  a  reduction  of  the  rates  of  fare, 
which  took  place  on  July  24th  last,  since  which  date  the  receipts  have  in- 
creased to  89  per  cent,  of  the  same  period  last  year ;  having  been  previous 
lo  that  date  only  69  per  cent,  of  the  receipts  of  that  year. 

The  passenger  fares  now  charged  are  f  2  50  and  $2  00  for  the  93  miles. 


W.I  - 


9i>  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Report 

A  still  greater  increase  of  passenger  travel  and  receipts  may  be  confident- 
ly anticipated  during  the  ensuing  year,  and  for  the  future,  when  the  low 
rates  of  fare  now  charged  shall  have  become  more  extensively  known  and 
circulated.  ;.^ 

Alterations  are  now  making  on  some  of  the  light  four  wheeled  passenger 
engines,  which  will  increase  their  speed  by  some  three  or  four  miles  an  hour 
at  a  trifling  expense ;  which,  when  effected,  will  allow  a  more  favorable 
comparison  with  other  well  constructed  roads  in  speed  of  passenger  trains — 
an  important  object  to  this  road. 

It  may  be  stated,  as  a  gratifying  fact,  that  notwithstanding  the  very  heavy 
amount  of  tonnage  passed  over  the  road  during  the  past  eleven  months, 
56,554  passengers  have  been  transported  without  the  slightest  personal  in- 
jury to  any  one. 

By  reference  to  statement  A,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  company  own  at 
present  39  locomotive  engines,  built  by  the  following  makers :  ^^ 

8  passenger  and  light  freight  engines,  made  by  Braithwait  &  Miilncr,  London. 
12  coal  engines,  made  by  Locks  and  Canals  Co.,  Lowell.  ;, 

.3  "  "       Eastwick  &  Harrison,  Philadeljiiia. 

2  «  "       Wm.  Norris,  PhUadelphia.  V"*. 

5  "       .  "       Newcastle  Manufacturing  Co.,  Newcastle,  DeL 

'-•     3  ««  .  K       Dottcrcr  <&  Co.,  Reading,  Pa. 

'    r     6Kght"  '  "       M.  W.  Baldwin,  Philadelphia. 

1  four  wheeled  with  vertical  boiler  to  bum  coal,  nmde  by  Roes  Winans,  Baltimore. 

All  of  which  are  at  this  date  in  good  running  order,  or  undergoing  such 
light  repairs  as  to  be  ready  for  service  on  the  road  at  two  days  notice,  with 
the  exception  of  one  of  the  new  engines,  now  altering  with  a  view  of  fully 
testing  the  use  of  anthracite  coal  for  fuel 

Convenience  and  economy  will  both  render  the  successful  result  of  this 
experiment  most  desirable,  although  several  previous  attempts  to  burn  this 
fuel  with  advantage  have  been  attended  with  an  expense  and  inconvenience 
which,  in  some  cases,  deranged  the  business  of  the  road. 

The  undersigned  is  aware  of  the  importance  of  introducing  this  fuel  upon 
a  road  which  depends  mainly  upon  the  coal  trade  and  the  coal  region  for 
its  support;  but  has  been  unwilling  to  expose  the  road,  while  working 
smoothly  and  passing  a  heavy  business  over  its  single  track,  to  that  incon- 
venience which  has  hitherto  in  most  cases,  on  this  as  well  as  other  roads,  at- 
tended such  experiments. 

It  is  hoped  and  believed  that  the  attempt  will  eventually  succeed,  and  ail 
that  skill,  experience  and  ingenuity  can  suggest,  will  be  done  to  effect  this 
most  desirable  object. 

The  tonnage  of  the  last  eleven  months  on  the  Reading  railroad,  with  all 
the  disadvantages  of  a  want  of  sufficient  machinery  early  in  the  season,  al- 
ready exceeds  that  of  any  double  or  single  track  railroad  in  the  country,  and 
it  is  believed,  that  of  any  single  track  railroad  in  the  world.  ^ 

It  amounts,  as  per  statement  B,  to  317,277  tons. 

Although  material  reductions  will  be  made,  as  before  stated,  in  many  items 
of  the  expenses  of  the  road,  for  the  coming  year,  the  undersigned  may  yet 
solicit  a  comparison  of  the  expenses  of  the  department  entrusted  to  his  charge, 
with  those  of  other  railroads,  considered  the  best  and  most  economically 
managed'ln  the  eastern  States. 

It  will  be  found  that  the  average  expense  of  ten  of  the  most  important  of 
these  railroads  is  six  per  cent  per  mile  over  that  of  the  Reading  railroad, 
while  that  of  only  three  is  le.ss — each  with  a  tonnage  supposed  not  more 
than  one-tenth  of  that  of  this  road.  -^  —  '  ■  .^  «....=.  j^.>.v*.      -  v,»a *  . 


.>«u*t-  k^'^.^i^A. 


Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Report,  8& 

The  average  weight  of  loaded  coal  traint  down  the  road  during  the  past 
eleven  months^  including  the  cars,  has  been  299  tons,  equal  to  49  j\  car* 
loaded  with  3fJ-  tons  of  coal  each,  or  a  nett  weight  of  161^8  tons  (2340  lba.> 
of  coal  to  each  train.  The  average  weight  of  empty  coal  trains  up  the 
road,  for  the  same  period,  has  been  121  tons,  equal  to  50  j^  empty  coal  car» 
of  2  tons  2  cwt.  each. 

The  gross  expenses  of  the  transportation  department  of  the  roed  are  ex- 
hibited in  detail  in  statement  C.  It  is  proper  to  state,  that  some  portion  of 
these  expenses  were  necessarily  larger  on  the  commencement  of  a  business 
of  such  magnitude,  without  the  required  facilities  for  carrying  it  on — -such 
as  turn-outs,  track  room,  machihery  and  workshops,  and  supply  of  water  to 
water  stations.  A  very  considerable  portion  also  of  these  expenses  may  be 
considered  permanent,  and  are  but  slightly  increased  by  a  business  double  or 
treble  that  hitherto  done  jjn  the  road.  Among  the  latter  expenses  mky  be 
enumerated  the  repairs  of  road-way,  salaries  of  officers  and  agents,  station- 
ery and  printing,  hauling  across  Schuylkill  bridge,  wages  of  watchmen, 
coal  for  offices  and  stations,  wages  of  depot  hands,  in  part,  materials  for  de* 
pots,  water  rents,  etc. 

The  experience  gained  by  those  in  charge  of  the  several  departments  of 
the  road,  will  prove  most  valuable  to  its  business  for  the  future  in  decreasing 
ks  expenses  and  adding  to  its  facilities. 

The  expenses  for  the  coming  year  will  show  a  omsiderable  saving  in 
several  important  items,  which  may  here  be  alluded  to.  All  the  brass  cast- 
kigs  and  coppersmith  work  of  the  line  are  now  done  at  the  company's  work- 
shops at  Reading,  under  the  superintendance  of  the  foreman,  of  a  much 
better  quality  than  were  before  purchased  elsewhere,  and  with  a  saving  of 
two-fifths  of  the  expense. 

Babbit's  patent  friction  nsetal  has  been  introduced  very  successfully  into 
all  the  running  gearing  of  the  engines,  as  well  as  the  car  boxes,  with  a  sa- 
ving of  friction,  oil  and  wear  and  tear.  Ray's  patent  spring  is  now  used  al- 
together on  the  road,  with  a  saving  of  one-fourth  in  weight  and  expense. 

A  considerable  proportion  of  the  repairs  of  coal  cars  was  on  account  of 
axles,  mostly  of  inferior  quality,  breaking  on  the  road.  An  arrangement 
has  been  made  with  an  eminent  manufacturer  of  these  important  articles,  by 
which  axles  of  a  most  superior  quality  are  furnished  at  a  trifling  advance 
upon  those  which  have  proved  defective,  with  which  the  latter  are  replaced 
when  found  necessary. 

It  is  believed  that  gr^t  advantages  will  result  to  the  road  by  using  sheet 
iron  coal  cars,  one  of  which  is  now  building  by  the  company.  It  will  weigh 
but  2J-  tons,  will  carry  5  tons  of  coal,  will  last  much  longer,  cost  less  for 
repairs,  and  diminish  the  cost  for  carrying  coal  about  20  per  cent.,  by  the 
greater  proportion  of  useful  to  useless  weight. 

An  economy  is  also  anticipated  in  the  use  of  steel  axle  journals  and  chilled 
cast  iron  boxes,  in  the  coal  cars,  by  diminishing  friction  and  the  quantity  of 
grease  required. 

On  reference  to  statements  C  and  D,  c^  the  expenses  of  the  road,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  sum  paid  the  State  for  tolls  and  motive  power,  over  the  3^ 
miles  of  their  road,  during  the  past  eleven  months,  amounted  to  ^12,384  57. 
To  this  must  be  added  the  expenses  of  hauling  across  the  Schuylkill  bridge, 
and  extra  conductors,  watchnien,  etc.,  making  a  total  of  $13,670  07  for  Uie 
eleven  months,  or  $14,912  80  per  annum. 

The  cost  of  conveying  a  passenger  from  Pottsville  to  the  junction  with 
the  State  railroad,  89^  miles,  has  been,  during  the  past  year,  38i^  cents,  in- 
cluding pay  of  engineer  conductor,  fireman,  fuel,  tallow,  water,  oil,  repain 
of  engine,  tender  arid  cars.  .     0  ':;  .      :   r  .  / 


^K  Philadelphia  and  Reading  jtailroad  Report. 

The  amount  paid  to  the  State  on  each  of  tliese  same  passengers,  for  use 
of  the  3^  miles  of  their  road  and  motive  power  above,  is  13^  cents,  besides 
the  cost  of  hauling  across  the  Schuylkill  bridge. 

The  cost  of  hauling  coal  over  this  road,  from  tho  junction  of  the  Read- 
ing railroad  to  Philadelphia,  not  including  repairs  of  cars,  is  14|  cts.  per  ton. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  confidently  stated,  that  the  future  prospects  and 
value  of  the  noble  improvement  under  your  management  is  most  encouraging. 

It  stretches  from  the  most  extensive  anthracite  coal  region  in  the  United 
States,  to  its  second  city  in  population  and  importance. 

The  supply  of  the  material  constituting  its  chief  dependence  for  tonnage 
is  inexhaustible,  and  is  mined  by  a  hardy,  enterprising  and  rapidly  increas- 
ing population,  and  can  pass  to  the  Philadelphia  market  by  no  shorter  or 
more  direct  route  than  the  Reading  railroad. 

In  the  carriage  of  its  coal  to  tide  water,  it  is  assisted  by  the  power  of 
gravity  overacting  in  the  required  direction  of  the  descending  trade,  through 
a  fall  of  590  feet,  and  so  spread  over  the  94  miles,  that  the  power  of  the  en- 
gine in  taking  back  its  empty  train,  is  no  more  taxed  than  when  hauling  the 
previous  train  loaded  over  a  level. 

The  length  of  the  road  allows  neither  more  or  less  than  one  good  day's 
work  per  trip  of  94  miles  to  all  hands  employed  on  the  train,  and  therefore 
secures  a  maximum  of  economy  in  the  item  of  men's  wages. 

The  article  carried  cannot  be  stolen,  lost  or  destroyed ;  and  even  in  cases 
of  accident,  it  is  taken  and  used  by  the  company  at  cost  price. 

The  valley  of  the  Schuylkill,  through  which  this  railroad  passes,  is  one 
of  the  richest  in  the  Slate  in  fertility  of  soil,  mineral  and  agricultural  pro- 
ductions. Iron  in  every  stage,  from  the  ore  to  the  bar,  lime  stone,  grain, 
flour  and  all  the  produce  of  the  farm  and  the  forest,  are  within  reach  along 
its  whole  route,  and,  with  the  accompanying  travel,  contribute  to  its  revenue. 

Its  ability  to  command  and  transport  the  whole  of  this  trade  will  go  on 
increasing,  since  every  year  presents  new  improvements  in  the  management 
and  machinery  of  railroads,  tending  to  their  economy  and  efficiency. 
All  which  is  respectfully  submitted,  by  your  obedient  servant, 

G.  A.  NicoLLs, 
Sup.  trans,  mot.  paiver  and  machinery  Phil.  Read,  and  Potts,  railroad. 

Reading,  Pa.,  Nov.  30,  1843. 


Statement  A. 


Amount  of  running  machinery  on  the  Philadelphia,  Reading  and  Potts- 

ville  railroad,  November  30<A,  1843. 

1592  4  wheded  coal  care. 

12  8  wheeled  passenger  care.        < ...   ••■t.;'icv '. 
2  4        II  n  «  .1  ^ 

6  4        "        baggage     " 

20"inaU. 


23  8  wheeled  engines,  from  11  to  13  3-4  tons 

7  6"  "         "  10  1-2  to  12  1-2  " 

8  4"  "all  8  4-lff" 
14        "     for  use  of  anthr.  coal,  wt.  10-43. 

X9  in  all.     Above  weights  in  running  order. 

169  4  wheeled  truck  freight  care. 

18"  "  " 

16  4        "        covered^  " 

2  8"  "       .   .,.  « 

a^liiaU. 


Engines  and  cars  contracted  for,  not  yet  de- 
livered— 1  locomotive  engine,  of  the  heaviest 
class,  for  Falls  grade,  from  Newcastle  Manu- 
facturing co;  24  open  freight  car  truck  bodies 
to  be  mounted  as  covered  cars. 

Statement  B. 
Of  amount  of  business  on  the  Philadelphia,  Reading  and  Pottsville  rail' 
road,jor  the  first  eleven  months  of  1843. 

Total  amount  of  coal  transported  in  tons  of  2240  lbs.,  218,711 

mdze.            "            "        2000  "  17,534 

"                tonnage  for  use  road,  earth,  rails,  stone,  sills,  pipes  etc.  2000  lbs.,  54,787 

Totad  tonnage  of  road,  in  tons  of  2000  lbs.,  317,277 


i'J^ i^Civ   1^ ^-..'z^'.'jtJrli-S'';  '/.^.•'i  iiii-^M 


PhiiadelpMa  and  Reading  Railnad  Report,  9$- 

ToUl  numfter  of  passengers  transported,     •■  •    ^^         •■      -       •  56,564 

"        "  miles  travelled  by  the  same,    -  -  r      *    -*'•  -  2,457,439 

Equal  to,  in  through  passengers  over  whole  length  of  road, '>*r;    •    .  =     -  26,484 

Oross  receipts  from  passenger  travel,    -           '~^r'''-it\"'.f^^''-      .;  •   :  $71,895  21 

"        "             freight  on  merchandize,            '    -         V    •  :\      :  ■    *  37,926  57 

«'        "                "coal,      -               -               ..;;/>.;   ^  278,84020 

"        "            transportation  of  United  States  maO,      '^   •     '         -  5,500  00 

•♦        "  all  otner  sources,  -  -  .v:-:-^^\^<i'^  - 156  51 

/^'^/  'V'  S394,318  49 

Deduct  debts  outstanding,  djie  company,  Nov.  30th,  1843,      /J;      .i^L  •';;:.  9,123  10 

Nett  receipts  of  road  for  11  months,  -  -  ^      •      .irsi    $385,195  39 

'■-'■' '^^  ^:-r  Statebient  C. 

Gtoss  expenses  of  the  transportation  department  for  the  first  eleven  months 
of  1843. 

RUNNING    ACCOCNT.  •  ..  .     Ki'    . 

Wages  of  engineers,  conductors,  breakmen,  etc., .      -    '     .      -    34,449  2l  •-f. 

Fuel,  15,554  5-8  cords  wood,  -  ...  36,18244 

OU,  5,796  1-2  gallons,  -  -  -  .-         •■ .   -     4,375  81 

Tallow  and  lai3,  -  -  -  ;    V .  !<  -  2,008  72 

Columbia  railroaid  expenses,  amount  paid  State,  -  -    12,384  57  "li, 

*'  "  hauling  across  Schuylkill  bridge,  1,010  00  .,    -^irr 

Hauling  cars  in  Broad  street,      -  -       ..»      "  "        884  84   .   ■  ;jf/ 

Loading  and  unloading  wood  and  freight,         '■"'-'■  -  2,221  85  \v-2r 

Renewals  of  articles  for  coal  trjuns,  ropes,  lamps,  etc^  -    ; .  .  v,  -*      1,108  64      ^  **> 

Cotton  waste,       -  -  -  -  ""^     -^       ^^  '•*  ' 

Goods  damaged,  stolen  or  lost,    -  -  .•^     .       *.       ^^  1^  .r 

Coal  broken  on  road,  tild  used  by  company,       •         ^    '«  698  28 

Sundry  small  items,      -  -  -       ■  V    -  •  -      1,227  73—97,029  37 

WORKSHOP  ACCOUNT. — [See  Statement  E  and  F.] 
Wages  of  mechanics,  at  repairs,  engines,  cars,  etc.,    -  -    23,058  05 

Bar  iron,  steel  and  other  materials  for  do.,  ».     ,.  •  -  9,828  68       .^       ** 

Iron  and  brass  castings,  and  copper  work,  -    ■         ,-    V         -     2,443  08  * 

Timber  for  repairs,  engines  and  cars,  -  .-.*,  .     ■    -  i  p.-,;     1,600  73    ■   .    '   :   ' '? 

Coal  for  stationary  engine  and  smith's  fires,  -.,;-'*        78644 

Sundry  small  items,  -  -  -  i,»;     -.      566  51—  38,283  4J 

DEPOT    ACCOUNT. 

Wages  of  depot  hands,  pumping  water  (jJ4,460,)  watchmen,  etc.  i.;:*r 

f$l  ,804  50,)  cutting  wood,  tending  freight,  etc.,     -        .        -    18,650  3*  •       -  ■• -^T 

Bills  of  cutting  wood,           ...              •  1,333  51 

Coal  for  water  stations  and  offices,  148  1-2  tons,     .^  •►  :      -.    it-  610  06  "      -Sv 

Water  rents,        -               -               -               .'-:::  <'^^-^^^ A  255  00  "          ^' 

Taxes  on  property  and  real  estate,               -    ^  -.-.-■    -  :  ..,„■  ■^.,;*'  324  73 

Sundry  small  items,  materials,  etc.,      -    "•    •      .'              .  gQ^  g-y — ■  21,781  65 

OFPrCE  AND  SUPERINTENDANCB  ACCOCNT. 

Printing,  advertising,  stationary,  furniture,  articles  for  offices,  &  rent,  2,114  94 
Fees  of  magistrates,  law  expenses,  etc.,  ...  154  92 
Salaries  of  alt  officers,  agents,  and  clerks  in  deportment,     -  12,269  36 —    14,539  29 

Gross  cxpensffi  of  department  for  11  months,     -  $171,633  73 

:   ,::v  >;::         Statement  D. 
Nctt  or  actual  expenses  of  the  first  eleven  months  of  the  year  1843.         , ;. 
Transportation  of  218,711  tons  of  coal,  from  Pottsville  and  Schuylkill  Haven 

to  Richmond,  on  the  Delaware,  and  to  junction  with  State  road,  at  46  cts.,  $100,607  06 
Transportation  of  26,424  passengers  to  junction  State  road  at  38  7-lOthB  cts.,  10,226  flO 
Transportation  of  17,534  tons  merchandize,  between  Pottsville,  Reading  and 

other  points,  and  State  road,  at  66  1-2  cents,  ...  11,66011 

•Transportation  of  sundry  materials  for  use  of  road,  including  40,484  tons  of 

earth,  1274  tons  rails  and  iron  for  track,  8,031  tons  sills  and  stone,  50  tons 

pipe,  and  sundries,  amounting  to  54,787  tons,  at  5  cents,      -  -  2,739  35 

Saperintendance  and  salaries  of  all  officers,  agents  and  clerks,  and  coal  a<Tent3 

at  depots,  -  -  -  -  -  "  -  13,790  61 

Expenses  on  Columbia  railroad  and  in  Broad  street,      -*'>-' y..^v•^*^••.■  14,471  91 

Wages  of  watchmen  at  depots,  -  -  'w;    -,•--•  1,80450 

Sundry  repairs  to,  and  materials  furnished  depots,  -  .^   ,    .     .      ,    1,198  42 

Making  patterns,  tools  and  sundries  at  workshops,    -  .    "*       ,.  1,500  51 

Over,  $157,995  56 


«8 


•w  CSort  -of  TrKiTisportation  on  Canals,    \ 


$164,549  30 

S2,774  40  1 

'.-   "•'■  -  4>' 

-  1,120  00 

•-*".  --;'■, 

987  33  '. 

234  26 

370  63      .,Y, 

-  353  33 

701  15 

-  200  00 

343  33-  7,084  43 

Brought  up,  S157,995  96 

Additions  and  alteration^  of  locomotive  engines,  as  sandboxes,  waterpipea,  etc.,      %2  58 
Alterations  and  additions  to  Reading  worlwhops,  ...  495  40 

Making  and  fitting  up  niachinery  for         do.,         -  .  -  .     559  93 

Building  and  altcnng  foitr  wheeled  into  six  wheeled  tenders,        -  -  1,278  97 

Office  exp's,  printing,  stationary,  atlvertising,  furniture,  coal,  rents,  materials,  etc.,  2,619  08 
All  other  expenses  not  enumerated,  taxes,  etc.,  ...  634  84 

Actual  nett  expenses. 
Add  for  materials  on  hand  as  follows: 
Wood,    -  -  -  -  •^ 

Iiwi,  cast  and  wrought,  and  steel,  - 
Iron  and  steel,  made  up,  .  .  - 

Wheels  and  axles,  -  -  - 

Engine  and  car  fires,  _  -  - 

Copper  work,  made  up,    -  -  - 

Brass,  lead,  etc.,      -  -  -   _  - 

Bituminous  coal,  -  I.  -  j^ 

Timber  and  lumber,  -  '  -  *?;*■*      -    " 

Gross  expenses,        -      '         • 

Statement  E. 
Repairs  of  locomotives,  for  the  first  eleven  months  of  1843. 
Cost  of  all  materials  used,  iron,  steel,  brass,  etc., 
Wages  of  mechanics,  .  -  .  -  - 

Superintcndance,  cal,  tools,  paints,  etc,  -  -  - 

Equal  to  4  2-10  cents  for  each  ton  of  2000  lbs.,      ... 

DETAILS   OP   WORKING   OP   ABOVE  ENGINES. 

Total  number  of  miles  run  by  heavy  coal  and  freight  engines,       » 

Total  number  of  miles  run  by  light  4  wheeled  passenger  engines,       -         ,_ . 

Total  number  huIcs  run,  -  -  -  -  - 

do.       do.      tons  hauled  one  mile,  -  -  -  . 

Average  gross  weight  of  loaded  coal  trains  down  the  road,  exclusive  of  engine 

and  tender,  in  tons,      ---... 
Average  gross  weight  of  empty  coal  trains,  up  the  road,  as  ebovc. 
Average  gross  weight  of  passenger  trains,  in  tcMis,  ... 

duantity  of  sperm  oil  us<xi  by  coal  engines  and  tenders,  per  trips  of  90  miles 

with  above  trains,  in  quarts,        ..... 
Quantity  of  sperm  oil  used  by  passenger  train  engines,  per  trips  of  90 miles  in  qts^ 
Total  number  trips  of  passenger  trains,  -  .  -  - 

Statement  F. 
Repairs,  and  working  of  coal,  freight  and  passenger  cars,  during  the  first 

eleven  months  of  1843. 

COAL   AND  FREIGHT  CARS.        .:"  n-.-jj'.'    :-...? 

Cost  of  all  materials,  iron,  stccJ,  brass,  etc.,  -  •  .  $2,617  12 

"      timber  and  lumber,         .....         1^386  89 
Wages  of  mechanics,  -  -  .  -  »  ^    9,013  55 


__  $171,633  73 

-  $2,208  71 
9.804  90 

-  1,210  62 

$13,224  23 
313,392 


% 


79,800 


393,193 
59,797,126 

299 

131 

9S 

399 
269 
667 


Superintendanoe,  oil,  tools,  paint,  etc.. 

Total  cost,     -  .  .  - 

Or  4  1-2  cents  per  ton  of  2000  lbs. 
Number  gallons  oil  used  by  freight  and  coal  cars,  > 
do.       lbs.  tallow  'do.  do. 

PASSENGER   CAR8. 

<>>st  of  all  iron,  timber  and  materials. 

Wages  of  mechanics,  ... 

Sundry  charges,  glass,  paint,  varnish,  etc.,     • 

Total  cost,    .... 

Equal  to  3  cents  per  each  through  passenger. 
Number  gallons  oil  used  by  passenger  cars, 
Number  pounds  tallow  used  by    do. 


1,301  74 
•14,319  30 

:  -     1,530 
29,133 

$243  28 

-  559  16 

100  30 


$902  7« 


For  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  M«ciuuiici'  MsKaciiM. 
COST    OF    TRANSPORTATION    ON    CANALS.       BY    W.    R. 


25 
1.053 


CASEY,   CIVIL   ENGINEER. 


The  great  object  of  canals  and  railways  is  to  reduce  the  cost  of  transpor» 
tation  to  the  lowest  practicable  limits  which  yield  a  reasonable  income  on 


^"A  .a'i  ^      -r-. 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  Canats.  9^ 

the  capital  invested  in  their  construction.  A  correct  understanding  of  the 
rates  of  toll  requisite  to  insure  this  fair  retura  is,  therefore,  of  vital  impoi- 
tanca  It  is  not  strange  that  great  difference  of  opinion  should  prevail  as  to 
the  cost  of  transportation  on  railways,  for  the  only  road  in  the  country  built 
for  the  accommodation  of  a  large  business  ia  freight,  has  been  but  a  fe\r 
months  in  full  operation.  Still  its  friends  and  foes  have  ventured  to  prophecy 
its  success  and  ruin  with  the  utmost  confidence. 

It  is  however  strange  that  an  equal  difference  of  opinion  prevails  as  to  the 

cost  of  transportation  on  canals.     The  president  of  the  Schuylkill  navigation 

company  states,  * 

"  In  the  past  season  the  whole  charge  for  carrying  coal  upon  the  SchuylkiM  naviga- 
tion, including  freight  and  toll,  ha.s  been  less  than  one  cent  and  a  quarter  per  ton  per 
mile,  and  it  may  be  materially  reduced  hereafter." 

From  this  we  may  conclude  that  he  looks  forward  to  a  total  charge  of  one 
cent  per  ton  per  mile,  the  toll  being  Mie-half  cent  per  ton  per  mile.  At  this 
rate  the  Erie  canal  would  be  a  complete  failure,  and  the  Delaware  and  Hud- 
son canal  requires  eight  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  nett  profit,  to  pay  a  reasonable 
dividend.  The  Schuylkill  canal  must,  therefore,  have  advantages  of  which 
we  in  New  York  know  nothing,  having  always  considered  the  Erie  canal 
as  not  only  unsurpassed  but  unrivalled  by  any  similar  work  in  its  favorable 
location,  small  cost,  moderate  lockage^  immense  business,  and,  more  Ifaiuk 
all,  its  rigorous  monopoly. 

The  Erie  canal  is  363  miles  long,  has  698  feet  lockage,  cost  to  this  time 
at  least  $10,000,000 ;  ordinary  expenses  about  $1,000  per  mik  per  »npuin, 
and  with  extraordinary  repairs  and  renewals  about  $500,000  per  annum. 

In  1840,  there  moved  on  the  canal  829,960  tons,  the  income  was  (less 
$58,458  87  for  passengers)  $1,478,141  62=$1-781  per  ton.  The  average 
movement  in  1839  was  determined  with  precision,  and  was  154  miles.  The 
freight  that  year  was  848,007  tons.  (Assembly  doc.  1840,  No.  306,  p.  38.) 
Now  $1'781^-154=$00115  per  mile  per  ton  of  2000  Jbs.=  01288  per  2240 
lbs.  per  mile=more  than  150  per  cent,  advance  on  the  charges  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill canal. 

^^  '  Again,  829,960x-2-=*639,069  20 

■.-.i^-r^':        Less  ordinary  expenses,  363 


*.7- 


■.#^^1-: 


Leaving  for  renewals  and  interest,  $276,069  20  ^  ■         v;' V  *" 

or  25-  per  cent,  on  the  low  estimate  of  $10,000,000.  This  is  however  talcing 
the  ton  at  2000  lbs.,  but  the  reader  will  probably  consider  the  "reductio  ad 
absurdum"  carried  far  enough. 

In  the  elaborate  report  above  alluded  to,  in  which  every  thing  connected 
with  the  Erie  canal  is  tinted  "  couleur  de  rose,"  it  is  said,  (p.  39,)     *^  • 

"  The  actual  cost  of  transporting  a  ton  on  the  present  canal,  including  eveiy  species 
of  expense,  except  tolls  to  the  State,  ia,  on  the  average,  nine  mills  per  mile. 

It  is  not  stated  whether  this  includes  the  profits  of  the  forwarder,  but  it  is 
less  than  the  average  charge  of  last  year,  which  was  at  least  \\\  mills  per 


90 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  CaTUils, 


mile  per  3240  lbs.  for  flour,  the  favorite  cheap  down  freight  on  the  Erie  canal. 
But,  neglecting  this,  we  have  cost  of  transportation, 

•  009    >  _  k  0205  per  3000  lbs  per  mile,  total  average 
add  toll,  -0115^       ^  charge  at  this  time. 

.  The  35  or  30   millions  to  be  expended  in  the  enlargement  will,  as  its 
friends  '•  fondly  hope,"  reduce  the  cost  of  transportation  one-half; 

Ldd  U)\\  0115  (  "  1  ^^^'^  P®'"  ^°^  °^  ^^^  ^^-  P^''  "^^^®'  ' ' 

or  01792  per  ton  of  2240  lbs.  This  is  the  lowest  estimate  of  the  most 
sanguine  friends  of  canals  in  this  State,  it  anticipates  an  increase  of  business 
boundless  as  the  west,  and  a  firm  continuance  of  the  State  monopoly. 
;.  The  Delaware  and  Hudson  caaal  is  108  miles  long,  and  brought  down 
in  1842,  205,253  tons  of  coal,  at  a  cost  of  $274,020  46,  exclusive  of  toll. 
This  is  at  the  rate  of  $1  335  per  ton  of  (I  suppose)  2240  lbs.,  or  01334  per 
ton  per  mile.  The  statement  of  the  company  is  annexed,  and  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  receive  very  nearly  2^  cents  per  ton  per  mile  for  the  entire  distance 
of  108  miles  of  canal,  and  16  miles  of  railway.  The  "  nett  profit  of  the 
year  is  $196,051  51,  being  over  ten  per  cent  on  the  capital  stock  of  the 
company."  The  cost  of  the  works  is  not  given,  but  as  they  owe  the  State 
$800,000,  on  which  they  pay  a  low  rate  of  interest,  it  must  be  about  $2,- 
600,000,  so  that  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  pays  7^  per  cent,  on  its 
cost,  at  the  above  rates  and  with  the  above  business 

Statement  of  the  expenses  of  the  Delatcare  and  Hudson  Canal  Co.  for  1842. 


To  coal  on  hand,  1st  March, 
Mining  coal, 


«104,870  00 
107,6eS  99 


"  Railroad  transportation  aiid  repairs,   115,755  85 
"  Freight  of  coal  to  Rondout,  274,020  46 

"  Canal  repairs  ami  superintendance,      77,078  91 
)*'  Labor  and  expenses  at  Rondoat,  21,793  69 

"  Interest  on  Stale  stock,  3S.500  00 

"  "  Company  ioan,  4,620  09 

"  Salaries,  current  expenses,  rents,  etc.,  23,227  63 
Balance,  196,051  51 


By  sales  of  coal, 
"  Canal  and  railroad  tolls, 
"  Interest  received, 
"  C«al  on  haad. 


•781,169  a 
33,894  S3 
23,846  74 
134,601  60 


March  1,  Via. 


V'«  • 


«9t>3^2&l 


■'•   ■••*:• 


By  balance, 


•963,602  0( 
<  196,061  61 


Flour  has  been  for  many  years  carried  from  Albany  to  New  York  for 
12^  cents  per  barrel,  or  8f  mills  per  ton  per  mile.  It  is  now  carried  for  10 
cents,  or  7  mills  per  ton  per  mile.  Were  the  distance  reduced  from  150  to 
108  miles,  the  cost  could  scarcely  be  less  than  7^  mills,  or  50  per  cent,  more 
than  the  forwarders  on  the  Schuylkill  canal  are  to  receive  according  to  Mr. 
S-  W.  Roberts,  the  president  of  the  Schuylkill  navigation  company,  and,  I 
presume,  the  well  known  engineer  of  that  name.  On  the  Hudson  they 
have  also  a  vast  quantity  of  up  freight  paying  one  to  two  cents  per  ton  per 
mile;  besides  crowds  of  emigrants. 

.  I  confess  my  inability  to  comprehend  that  the  Schuylkill  canal  should  in 
any  way  rival  the  Hudson — as  for  exceeding  it,  a  highly  respectable  miracle 
will  be  required  to  enable  me  even  to  entertain  the  proposition.  It  will  be 
fortunate  indeed  if  the  present  rivalry  between  the  canal  and  the  railway 
does  not  terminate  in  a  case  more  appropriately  falling  within  the  jurisdic- 


( 


■  Report  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Company.  91 

tion  of  the  patron  saint  of  Pennsylvania — the  Rev.  Sidney  Smith — than 
within  the  province  of  the  engineer. 

A  variety  of  minor  considerations  may  be  advanced  which  would  make 
the  case  of  the  Schuylkill  canal  appear  a  little  better ;  the  same  may  be 
said,  and  to  a  greater  extent,  of  the  Erie  canal.  To  these  I  may  allude  ki 
another  number  of  the  Journal.  ..  ^i,   - ;.      ..:,  ..-^>    ,-<;.;.   -  _.  :^   ■ 

iVejr  YorZ;  MarcA,  1844.  --t  -  '  .:.  Zi-^!^- 

REPORT   OF   THE    SCHUYLKILL    NAVIGATION    COMPANY    TO    THE    STOCKHOLDERS, 

(Continued  from  page  .51.) 

Originally  a  depth  of  three  feet  was  aimed  at,  in  constructing  the  canals 
and  pools  ;  but  has  since  been  increased  to  four  feet,  and,  in  many  places,  to 
much  more  ;  but  the  shallowest  parts  must  of  course  limit  the  capacity  of 
the  navigation.  During  the  past  season,  the  levels  have' been  kept  full,  and 
one  boat,  No.  169,  called  the  '•  President,"  came  dawn:  drawing  49  inches 
of  water,  and  carrying  71  tons,  9  cwt.  of  eoal. 

In  these  days  of  keen  competition  in  the  coal  trade,  it  is  a  matter  of  groat 
interest  to  reduce  the  freights  ias  much  as  possible,  and  this  may  most  easily 
be  effected  by  increasing  the  loads.  An  enlargement  of  the  canals  and  of 
the  locks  would  bo  attended  with  great  expense,  and  would  require  boats  of 
diflferent  dimensions  from  those  now  in  use.  The  question  of  accomplishing 
the  same  end  by  a  more  simple  and  less  expensive  process,  thus  acquires 
additional  importance. 

It  has  been  found  by  careful  experiments  made  this  season  upon  boats  in 
use,  that  a  good  boat,  when  drawing  46  inches  water,  will  carry  66  tons  ; 
and  that  every  additional  half  inch  displaces  one  ton  of  water,  or  adds  one 
ton  to  the  boat's  capacity  of  carrying.  So  that  when  the  boat  draws  seren 
inches  more,  making  53  inches,  or  4  feet  5  inches,  it  will  carry  14  tons  more, 
making  80  tons  ;  and,  in  the  same  proportion,  a  draught  of  5  feet  3  inches, 
will  carry  100  tons,  which  has  been  verified  by  actual  experiment  with  the 
■■boat  "  Wm.  P.  Cox,"  No.  472,  which,  having  brought  64  tons  of  coal  to 
Philadelphia,  was  loaded  to  100  tons,  with  the  above  draught  of  water,  and 
carried  her  p.rgo  to  New  York. 

Seventy  cents  per  ton  is  found  to  be  a  fair  price  for  freight  from  Pottsville 
to  Philadelphia,  with  a  boat  carrying  60  tons  and  a  steady  trade.  Suppose 
the  shallow  parts  of  the  navigation  to  be  deepened  a  few  inches,  and  the  boat 
thus  enabled  to  carry  80  tons.  This  gives  an  addition  of  one-third  to  the  ton- 
nage, and  reduces  the  freight  per  ton  in  nearly  a  corresponding  proportion, 
for  the  boat  requires  no  more  force  to  manage  it.  Another  advantage  is  a 
diminution  of  the  number  of  lockages,  and  consequent  economy  of  water  for 
a  given  amount  of  freight.  The  same  reasoning  will  apply  to  a  greater  hi- 
crease  of  depth  and  tonnage,  and  it  will  no  doubt  ultimately  be  accomplished  ; 
but  the  mark  of  80  tons  seems  to  be  attainable  without  any  large  expendi- 
ture, and  with  many  of  the  boats  now  upon  the  line;  and  any  increase  in 
the  column  of  water,  in  the  shallow  piirts  of  the  canal,  will  be  an  advantage 
to  every  boat,  by  diminishing  the  resistance  to  its  motion. 

With  a  view  to  obtain  correct  information  in  reference  to  the  subject  of 
'deepening  the  navigation,  the  managers  have  directed  the  line  to  be  exam- 
ined and  sounded  throughout  its  length,  which  is  now  in  progress. 

In  the  past  season,  the  whole  charge  for  carrying  coal  upon  the  Schuyl- 
kill navigation,  including  freight  and  toll,  has  been  less  than  one  cent  and  a 
'<}uarter  per  ton  per  mile,  and  it  may  be  materially  reduced  hereafter. 

Let  us  now  compare  this  charge  with  the  expense  of  railway  transporta- 


■■■>  e^  .  .'j.'i . 


.I-.. 


Report  of  the  Schuflkill  Navigation  Company. 

tion  as  ascertained  from  the  experience  of  a  series  of  years,  in  England, 
where  wages,  fael  and  iron  are  cheap,  and  where  there  is  iatense  competition 
between  the  different  coal  districts. 

An  eminent  Eno-lish  eaai-ineer,  by  whom  several  important  railways  have 
been  constructed,  Charles  B.  Vignoles,  professor  of  civil  engineering  ia  the 
London  University,  has  recently  given  to  the  public  the  following  results : 

"  The  cost  of  carrying  coals,  at  very  moderate  velocities,  on  the  great  colliery  railways, 
is  about  one  penny  (equal  to  twu  cents)  per  ton,  which  may  be  dinded  into  the  fullowin{ 
beads,  viz : 

EXFIENSB   OP  TRANSPORT   OT  COAL. 

Decimals  of  a  penny. 

Locometive  power,  »  •  »  -38 

,..     :         WaeonB,  -    ^-^y- ^.,,?  ,;:^/' ^,;  .^A^  ^;'    -  •  .v^- ?»--      '19 

"    ■         Conducting  tratfir,  -  -  -  -08 

Maintenance  of  railway,  -  -  '      ■•"       -Si 

General  cxjienses,  including  local  taxes,     -.  -  '14 

Per  ton  of  coal  per  mile,  -  -       1-00  or  2  els. 

"  The  proportion  of  the  oweight  of  the  coal  to  the  gross  load  carried  being  as  3  to 

5.     The  expense  of  carrying  goods  on  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railway,  taken  on 

the  average  of  seven  years'  trathc,  appears  to  be  about  two  and  a  half  pence  (equal  to  fiw 

cents)  per  ton  per  miie." 

This  however  includes  half  a  penny  for  the  expense  of  collecting  and  de- 
livering the  goods. 

The  general  results  of  English  experience  are  thus  tabulated ;  and  we 
may  remark,  that  they  agree  very  nearly  with  the  calculations  of  the  cost 
of  transportation  on  a  number  of  American  railroads,  as  given  by  Mr.  C. 
Ellet,  Jr.,  eivil  engineer,  in  his  interesting  essays  on  that  subject 

"expense  of  railway  transport  per  mile. 
Passengers,  at  high  velocities,  -  -  Id.  (or  2  cents)  each. 

Coal,  at  very  moderate  speed,  -  -        Id.  (or  2  centsj   per  ton. 

Merchandize,  at  15  mik«  an  hour,    -  -  2d.  (or  4  cents)   per  ton." 

Thus  the  expense  of  carrying  merchandize,  at  15  miles  per  hour,  is  twice 
that  of  coal,  at  about  5  miles  per  hour  ;  half  of  which  difference  is  due  to  the 
increased  velocity.  So  that  to  carry  coal,  at  15  miles  per  hour,  would  coet 
three  half  pence,  or  three  cents,  per  ton  per  mile,  without  including  anything 
for  interest  or  profits.  {See  Mr.  Vignoles'  sixteenth  lecture  reprinted  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Franklin  Institute  for  December,  1843.]  In^other  place, 
Mr.  Vignoles  has  observed,  that  he  thought  the  proper  railway  charge  should 
be  double  the  cost  for  working;  which,  for  transportation,  at  15  miles  per 
hour,  would  make  the  charge  six  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  or  nearly  five  times 
the  present  charge  for  carrying  coal  upon  the  Schuylkill  navigation. 

The  spendthrift  and  prodigal  policy,  sometimes  pursued  upon  railroads, 
soon  after  their  first  construction,  of  carrying  heavy  freight  at  high  veloci- 
ties and  at  low  prices,  less  by  far  than  sufficient  to  keep  up  the  business,  soon 
defeats  its  own  object,  and  comes  to  a  speedy  end,  when  the  ability  to  accu- 
raulate  indebtedness  no  longer  exists.  With  the  weight  of  the  load,  and  the 
rate  of  the  speed,  the  wear  and  tear  increase  in  a  constantly  increasing  ratio, 
until  the  road  itself,  and  its  costly  machinery  and  carriages  are  found  to  be 
involved  in  a  common  destruction.  Though  this  conclusion  may  not  at  first 
be  strikingly  apparent,  it  is  just  as  certain  as  the  effect  of  over  exertion  and 
high  excitement  upon  the  human  constitution,  and  much  more  speedy  in  its 
result ;  for  a  railroad,  unlike  the  human  frame,  has  nothing  recuperative  in 
its  nature. 

Nearly  one  half  of  the  Schuylkill  navigation  is  constructed  in  the  river, 
deepened  and  improved  by  art,  and  the  gentle  current  being  in  the  direction 
of  the  heavy  descending  grade  greatly  facilitates  its  transportation  ;  so  that 
tlie  river  may  be  considered  as  a  moving  road,  the  surface  of  which  is  con- 


Baldtoin  and  Whittle^  s  Six  Driver  LoeoiHotitfe. 

ttantly  renewed  by  the  bounty  of  Providence,  in  sending  the  early  and  the 
latter  rain. 

It  is  usual  for  eminent  success  to  induce  attempts  at  competition,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  iucrezising  trade  of  the  valley  of  the  Schuylkill  may  for  a  time  be 
diverted  from  its  natural  channel,  but  -your  president  and  managers  are  fully 
convinced,  that  no  land  carriage  can  long  compete  with  such  a  water  com- 

r  munication  in  carrying  freight ;  and,  believing  that  a  judicious  and  firm  ad- 
ministration of  your  affairs  must  lead  to  ultimate  results  which  will  both 

.  gratify  your  hopes,  and  justify  their  expectations,  they  have  deemed  it  due  to 
you  to  embrace  a  wider  range  than  usual  in  this  annual  report,  so  as  to  give 
m  some  degree  the  grounds  of  their  unshaken  confidence  in  the  intrinsic 
value  of  your  noble  work,  from  which  you  may  draw  your  own  conclusions. 

All  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 
,^  Solomon  W.  Roberts. 

,^,x  January  1,  1844.  PresidetU.. 

For  the  Ameriean  Railroacl  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Maf^zine.  ^.v' 

BALDVVTN   AND   WHrTNEY's    SIX   DRrVER   LOCOMOTIVE. 

Among  the  numerous  improvements  which  have  of  late  years  conspired 
to  elevate  the  railroad  system  to  the  high  degree  of  advancement  by  which 
it  is  at  this  time  characterized,  there  is  perhaps  none  more  calculated  to  se- 
cure to  its  projectors  the  award  of  well  merited  praise  for  ingenuity — and  to 
the  public  a  most  essential  benefit  in  the  provision  of  an  efficient  basis  for 
the  reduction  of  railway  fares,  than  the  six  driver  locomotive  engine  recently 
designed  and  constructed  by  those  enterprizing  machinists,  Messrs.  Baldwin 
and  Whitney,  of  Philadelphia. 

To  the  character  for  skill  and  perfection  of  workmanship,  which  these 
gentlemen  have  so  deservedly  maintained,  by  the  construction  of  engines  of 
■  an  excellence  of  finish,  a  symmetry  of  proportion,  and  a  judicious  adjustment 
of  parts,  unsurpassed  by  those  of  any  other  manufacturers  in  the  world,  they 
have  now  added  that  of  bold  but  successful  innovators,  in  presenting  us  with 
a  machine  designed  on  principles,  the  application  of  which  to  railway  pur- 
poses is  entirely  new ;  and  which,  we  may  confidently  assert,  secure  to  the 
<  system  a  moter  at  once  more  powerful,  and  less  injurious  to  the  road,  than 
any  other  which  has  hitherto  been  introduced. 

This  engine  may  justly  be  regarded  as  revolutionizing  the  railway  system, 
at  least  so  far  as  relates  to  its  application  to  the  roads  of  our  interior,  or  of 
other  sections  where  the  conunand  of  pecuniary  resources  is  comparatively 
restricted,  and  where  railways  must  necessarily  either  be  constructed  with 
less  regard  to  strength  than  those  of  more  wealthy  sections,  or  not  constructed 
at  all. 

The  ability  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  total  amount  of  adhesion  due  to  the 
weight  of  the  engine,  and  at  the  same  time  to  introduce  moife  than  four  driv- 
ing wheels,  in  order  to  distribute  the  weight  among  a  number  of  points  of 
contact  with  the  rails  sufficient  to  avoid  injury  from  either  abrasion,  or  too 
great  strain  upon  a  single  point,  has  long  been  considered  as  a  desideratum 
of  paramount  importance. 

For  some  years  past,  many  eminent  machinists  have  been  engaged  in  ca- 


94  Baldwin  and  Whifney^s  Six  Driver  Locomotive. 

deavoring  to  devise  means  for  reducing  the  problem  to  a  form  that  should 
be  practically  available ;  but  with  the  exception  of  the  machine  of  Messrs. 
Baldwin  and  Whitney,  their  attempts  must  be  regarded  as  in  a  great  measure 
abortive.  The  efTorts  of  these  gentlemen  have  at  last  been  rendered  success- 
ful by  means  of  a  happy  application  of  the  principle  of  the  ordinary  parallel 
ruler,  by  which  they  secure  the  constant  parallelism  of  all  the  axles,  and  at 
the  same  time  allow  the  wheels  to  adjust  themselves,  to  a  considerable  extent, 
to  the  various  curvatures  of  the  road. 

The  connecting  rods  are  furnished  with  ball  and  socket  joints,  which  ad- 
mit of  motion  in  every  direction  without  strain. 

Careful  experiments  made  upon  one  of  our  northern  railways,  for  the 
purpose  of  testing  the  comparative  merits  of  these  engines,  and  of  others  in 
common  use,  have  shown  conclusively  that  the  former  experience  less  resist- 
ance from  friction  upon  curves  than  the  latter,  thus  placing  at  rest  one  of 
the  most  formidable  objections  that  had  been  advanced  against  the  six  driver 
engines. 

■  A  careful  account  was  kept  of  these  experiments,  and  I  am  pleased  to 
learn  that  the  results  are  in  the  hands  of  a  member  of  the  profession,  under 
whose  supervision  they  were  conducted ;  one  eminently  qualified  for  the  task, 
and  who  will  probably  arrange  and  prepare  them  for  publication  in  the  Rail- 
road Journal. 

<<  When  the  merits  of  Messrs.  Baldwin  and  Whitney's  engine  become  nrare 
generally  known,  I  have  little  doubt  but  that  it  will  in  a  great  measure  su- 
percede all  others  of  prior  construction,  especially  for  the  carriage  of  freight 
The  number  of  drivers  is  by  no  means  limited  to  six,  but  may  be  increased 
to  eight  or  more  if  required. 

"■  It  would  be  difficult  to  convey  a  very  correct  idea  of  the  details  of  con- 
struction which  constitute  the  peculiarities  of  this  engine,  without  the  use  of 
drawings,  which  I  have  it  not  in  my  power  to  furnish  at  this  moment,  but 
which  I  may  prepare  to  accompany  a  more  specific  paper  on  the  subject  in 
a  future  number  of  the  Journal.  The  more  immediate  object  of  this  com- 
munication is  to  direct  the  attention  of  railway  companies,  especially  those 
whose  roads  are  not  of  the  most  permanent  construction,  to  a  machine  emin- 
ently adapted  to  their  purposes,  inasmuch  as  it  obviates  that  most  formidable 
source  of  injury,  and  consequent  expense,  the  too  great  weight  borne  upon 
each  driver  of  the  ordinary  engines. 
..  .  ^  .        -  .-.  John  C.  Trautwink; 


\Ve  have  frequently  heard  the  improved  engine  of  Messrs.  Baldwin  and 
Whitney  spoken  of  by  ^experienced  engineers  in  very  favorable  terms,  and 
have  made  quite  an  effort  to  obtain  an  accurate  description  of  it,  as  well  as 
a  detailed  account  of  its  performance  on  the  western  railroad  last  fall,  but 
have  been  unsuccessful  in  both  ;  yet,  we  hope  soon  to  receive  from  the  gen- 
tleman who  has  the  minutes  of  these  experiments,  a  full  report  of  its  work, 
in  comparison  with  other  engines  worked  at  the  same  time  j  and  we  now  . 


Engineers^  and  Mechanics^  Pocket  Book. — Railroad  Reports. 


96 


call  on  the  writer  of  the  above  comnmnlcation,  who  is  familiar  with  the  im- 
provements, and  fully  competent  to  the  task,  to  furnish  us  with  a  description* 
accompanied  by  illustrations,  of  the  engine ;  that  the  numerous  railroad 
companies  in  this  country  and  Europe  may,  through  this  Journal,  be  informed 
of  its  excellence ;  and  the  ingenious  manufacturers — whose  modesty  ap- 
pears to  exceed  if  possible  their  skill  as  machinists — ^may  receive  a  remu- 
neration equal  to  their  deserts ;  and  the  travelling  community  derive  the  ad- 
vantage which  is  sure  to  result  from  reduced  fares.  We  trust  that  we  shall 
soon  hear  from  the  gentleman  referred  to,  and  also  from  Mr.  Trautwine 
again. — {^Eds.  Railroad  Journal.) 

ENGINEEKS'    AND    MECHANICS'  POCKET  BOOK. BY  CHARLES  H.  HASWELL,   CHIEF 

ENGINEER,   U.    S.   NAVY. 

We  cordially  recommend  this  little  work  to  the  notice  of  the  profession, 
as  containing,  within  the  same  space,  more  information  likely  to  be  useful — 
and  that  information,  too,  more  skillfully  arranged — than  any  similar  work 
with  which  we  are  acquainted.  It  is  beautifully  as  well  as  conveniently  got 
up,  contains  264  pages  of  matter  well  condensed,  with  only  half  a  dozen 
blank  leaves  at  the  end,  in  place  of  being  little  more  than  a  memorandum 
book  for  the  year,  as  is  the  case  with  some  of  the  English  works  of  this 
description. 

The  tables  are  numerous  and  elaborate,  comprehending  very  extensive 
ones  of  weights  and  measures,  foreign  as  well  as  domestic ;  of  areas,  squares 
and  cubes,  natural  sines  and  tangents,  specific  gravity,  strength  of  materials, 
flow  of  water  through  pipes,  weights  of  bar  and  sheet  iron  per  Ibeal  and 
square  foot,  etc.  We  understand  that  many  of  the  tables  and  formulas  have 
been 're-calculated  by  Mr.  Has  well,  who  has  spared  no  pains  to  combine 
accuracy  with  condensation — the  g^eat  aim  in  such  works. 

To  the  civil  engineer,  when  away  from  his  books,  it  will  prove  an  invalu> 
able  companion ;  and  here  we  will  venture  to  suggest  to  Mr.  Haswell,  that 
a  table  of  natural  sines  and  tangents  to  minutes,  would  have  added  material- 
ly to  the  value  of  his  manual  to  the  railway  engineer,  for  yre  do  not  remem- 
ber to  have  ever  seen  such  tables  in  pocket  form.  Hassler's  tables  give  the 
natural  sines  and  cosines  only,  and  they  can  hardly  bej.  called  a  "  pocket 
book."  A  table  to  fifleen  minutes  will,  however,  be  often  useful,  and  per- 
haps it  did  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  his  project,  to  devote  a  dozen  pages 
more  to  this  purpose.  We  repeat  that  nowhere  have  we  seen  so  near  an  ap- 
proximation to  what  an  "  Engineers'  and  Mechanics'  Pocket  Book"  should 
be,  as  this  little  work  of  Mr.  Haswell's.  -       .  '-^^ 

K^    -  RAILROAD    REPORTS.  V?-  ;  ■  •     ■*        >  ii  ''^^^  < 

',  We  are  indebted — not  to  the  managers,  but — to  a  friend,  for  the  eighth 
annual  report,  for  1843,  of  the  directors  of  the  Western  railroad  company. 
It  came  to  hand  too  late  for  use  in  this  number— ^ut  we  refer  to  it  for  the 
purpose  of  saying  to  the  managers  of  the  various  railroad  companies,  that 
we  believe  they  would  promote  their  own,  quite  as  much  as  our  interest,  by 


|5 


';'.  ;■:.'<■ 


>:..  i-<':.-     r     :  -y^..^-, 


96 


■-''a  tofcV.V.  i-"^  ' 


Items.  i'^''r'^i^^..\tl.  \tk>*:  •■  ;.t>^-! 'i '^Jt' 


sending  always  to  the  Railroad  Journal  one  of  the  first,  copies  of  their  re- 
ports when  published.  ,  Have  the  other  Massachusetts  companies  made  their 
annual  reports  yet?     If  yea — where  are  they? 

We  find  in  "  The  Civil  Engineer  and  Architect's  Journal,"  for  January  13th  last,  tha 
following  statements*,  in  relation  to  the  use  of  wrought  and  cast  iron  for  bridges.  The 
wrought  iron  bridges  are  after  the  plan  of  "  the  wooden  lattice  bridges  of  America;"  the 
origin  of  which  style,  the  editor  claims  for  "  the  late  Mr.  Smart  of  Westminister  wharf, 
Lambeth."  Possibly  this  may  be  the  fact — but  if  so,  the  Americans  have  probably  made 
some  important  improvement  upon  the  original.  Will  those  interested  in  the  subject  in 
this  country  give  up  their  claim — or  will  they  furnish  us  their  statement  for  publication  1 
We  should  like  to  publish  an  accurrate  account  of  their  origin  in  this  country,  but  must 
rely  upon  those  who  posses  the  facts  to  furnish  them. 

The  following  papers  were  read  before  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers — January  9th, 
1844. 

♦  By  Capt.  W.  S.  Moorsom,  Assoc.  Inst.  C.  E.,  descriptive  of  a  cast  iron  bridge  over  the 
Avon,  near  Tewkesbury,  on  the  line  of  the  Birmingham  and  Gloucester  railway.  The 
principal  novelty  of  this  work,  which  was  proposed,  and  its  execution  superintended  by 
Mr.  Ward,  of  Falmouth,  is  the  mode  of  constructing  the  two  piers,  which  were  externally 
of  cast  iron  in  the  form  of  caissons,  each  weighing  about  28  tons ;  the  plates  composing 
each  caisson  were  put  together  on  a  {^atfbrm  erected  upon  piles  over  the  site  of  the  pier, 
the  bottom  of  the  nver  l«ing  levelled  by  a  scoop  dredger,  the  caisson  was  lowered,  and 
some  clay  being  thrown  around  the  exterior,  a  joint  was  formed  so  nearly  water  tight,  that 
two  small  pumps  drained  it  in  six  hours.  The  foundation  being  thus  excavated  to  the  re- 
quisite depth,  tne  caisson,  which  sank  as  the  excavation  proceeded,  was  filled  with  concrete 
and  masonry ;  cap  plates  were  then  fixed  for  supporting  eight  pillars  with  an  entablature, 
to  which  was  attached  one  end  of  the  segmental  arches  57  feet  span,  with  a  versed  sine  of 
5  feet  2  inches.  There  were  three  of  these  arches,  each  formed  of  six  ribs  of  cast  iron,  and 
two  such  piers  as  have  been  described,  the  land  abutments  being  of  stone  work  joining  the 
embankment  of  the  railway.  It  was  stated  that  this  mode  of  construction  was  found  to  be 
more  economical  in  that  pecuUa«  situation  than  the  usual  methed  of  fixing  timber  cofier- 
dams,  and  building  the  piers  within  them ;  the  total  cost  of  the  bridge  being  only  £10,192, 
and  the  navigation  of  the  river  was  not  interrupted  during  the  progress  of  flie  work.  The 
paper  was  illustrated  by  eighteen  remarkably  well  executed  drawings  by  Mr.  Butterton. 

"f  A  paper  by  Mr.  G.  W-  Hemans,  Grad.  Inst.  C.  E.,  descriptive  of  a  wrought  iron  lattice 
bridge  erected  across  th^line  of  the  Dublin  and  Drogheda  railway  was  then  read.  This 
bridge,  which  in  construction  is  similar  to  the  wooden  lattice  bridges  of  America,*  only  sub- 
stituting wrought  iron  for  timl>er,  is  situated  about  three  miles  irom  Dublin  over  an  exca- 
vation of  36  feet  in  depth ;  its  span  is  84  feet  in  the  clear,  and  the  two  lattice  beams  are  set 
parallel  to  each  other,  resting  at  either  end  on  plain  stone  abutments  built  in  the  slope. 
These  beams  are  10  feet  in  depth,  and  are  form«l  by  a  series  of  flat  iron  bars  2  1-2  inches 
wide  by  3-8  inches  thick  crossing  one  another  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees ;  at  5  feet  6  inches 
above  the  bottom  edge,  transverse  bearers  of  angle  iron  are  fixed  similar  to  those  now 
used  for  suj^rting  the  decks  of  iron  steam  vessels,  and  upon  those  the  planking  for  the 
roadway  is  fastened.  The  account  of  the  mode  of  construction,  and  of^the  raising  and 
fixing  the  lattice  beams,  by  Messrs.  Perry,  of  Dublin,  the  contractors,  was  given  in  detail, 
and  tne  author  stated  that,  although  it  was  expected  that  considferable  deflection  would  oc- 
cur, which  was  provided  for  by  forming  the  beams  with  a  curve  of  12  inches  in  the  centre  \ 
they  did  not  sink  at  all  even  when  heavy  weights  passed  over  them.  The  total  cost  of  tho 
structure,  including  the  masonry  of  the  abutments  was  £510.  It  was  stated  that  this 
bridge  had  been  erected  by  Mr.  Macneill,  M.  Inst.  C.  E.,  in  order  to  test  the  soundness  of 
this  Icind  of  structure  before  he  appUed  it  in  a  bridge  of  240  feet  span  to  carry  the  Dublin 
and  Drogheda  raUway  over  a  canaJ. 

*  The  orietnal  inventor  of  the  lattice  bridge,  was  the  late  Mr.  Smart,  of  Westmininter  bridge  wfiarf, 
Lambeth,  who  many  years  since  took  out  letters  patent  for  the  principle. — (Ed.  C.  E.  &  A.  Journal.) 

'  CONTENTS:  ~ 

"  Page.  Page.      : 

Tables^nhical  qtiantitiea,  65  Baldwin  &  Whitney's  six  driver  locomotive,       93 

Ptuladelpliia  and  Reading  railroad  report,  81  Eoeineers'  and  Mechanics'  Pocket  Book,  96 

Cost  of  tr.iTisportalion  on  canals,  88  Railroad  Report,  96 

R«port  of  the  Schuylkill  navigation — continued,  91  Items,  .  90 


^^Piife;  -  ^:■'■i!l: 


>.■ 


AMERICAN     ■     V«*«-^>.^*««^ 

RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 

MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE,  '-'-'^m:^ 


Published  Monthly  at  23  Chambers-st.  New  Vork,  )  k  By  GEO.  C.  SCHAEFFER,  and 

at  ^2  a-year,  in  advance,  or  3  copies  for  9o.       \  J  D.  K.  MINOR,  Editors.  j 

No.  4,  Vol.   2.   i  APPTT      lft±l  ^  ^vi*  xvn^    '' 


""-kih^J-  \  APRIL,  1844.  S' 


For  the  American  Railroad  Jonrnal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

COST   OF   TRANSPORTATION   ON    RAILROADS. BY   CHARLES   ELLET,   JR.,   C.   E. 

(Continued  from  page  8.) 

Wear  of  Iron  Rails. — It  was  not  my  intention  to  deviate  from  the  course 
which  I  had  marked  out  as  proper  to  be  observed  in  the  discussion  and  de- 
velopment of  the  important  subject  which  I  have  attempted  to  exhibit,  for  the 
purpose  of  disposing  of  collateral  points,  or  of  refuting  any  objections  that 
might  be  urged  against  my  argument  But  the  matter  presented  in  the  De- 
cember number  of  the  Journal  is  of  such  deep  interest  to  all  concerned  in  the 
railroad  cause,  that  I  have  been  compelled  to  make  frequent  oral  explanations 
and  estimates,  which  could  be  more  advantageously  and  more  appropriately 
offered  in  their  place  in  these  articles.  I  propose,  therefore,  to  recur  briefly 
in  the  present  paper,  to  the  momentous  question  of  the  probable  durability  of 
the  iron  rails,  and  the  pecuniary  loss  consequent  on  their  destruction,  for  the 
purpose  of  presenting  facts  which  it  was  my  wish  to  postpone  to  a  later 
period. 

It  is  as  impossible  as  it  would  be  dishonest  to  attempt  to  promote  the  cause 
of  internal  improvement,  or  any  division  of  that  cause,  by  deceptive  estimates 
or  the  expression  of  extravagant  hopes.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  engineer,  as 
well  as  of  the  statesman,  to  look  at  things  as  they  are,  at  this  great  system 
as  it  is.  He  must  first  recognize  the  weaker  points  before  he  can  hope  to 
fortify  them.  If  companies  or  their  officers,  fail  to  estimate  their  expenses 
truly,  they  will  inevitably  fail  also  in  their  great  objects ;  and  instead  of 
bringing  blessings  and  prosperity  into  the  country,  public  improvements  will 
continue  ta  be,  as  they  have  hitherto  frequently  been,  the  bearers  of  private 
rain  and  public  dishonor. 

The  prevailing  fault  of  nearly  all  writers  on  railroad  policy  is  that  of 
yielding  up  their  judgment  to  the  dictation  of  their  wishes,  and  exhibiting  the 
facts  as  all  desire  them  to  be,  and  not  as  we  find  them.  Hence  the  proverbial 
errors  of  companies  and  their  agents,  in  undervaluing  the  first  cost  of  their 
work ;  in  over  estimating  its  business,  and  underrating  the  cost  of  its  main- 
tenance. Their  opinions  are  but  the  picture  of  their  hopes,  and  rarely  de- 
ductions from  an  extensive  and  systematic  investigation,  and  a  wide  experieoce. 


.'•,iu^:iiisij^iiLii^M'2,:. . 


M  Cost  of 'TransporfdHon  on  Rditrodds. 

.  But  we  are  now  in  pursuit  of  truth  and  shall  endeavor  to  avoid  this  error. 

The  railroad  system  is  new.  It  is  not  yet  twenty-five  years  since  the  lo- 
comotive engine  has  been  used  with  any  decided  success,  and  it  is  not  fifteen 
years  since  its  first  employment  on  lines  of  general  and  extensive  intercourse. 

We  have,  nevertheless,  much  experience  of  the  wear  of  iron  rails  ;  for  a 
heavy  trade — a  trade  vastly  inferior  to  that  of  some  of  the  canals  of  this 
country — is  sufficient  to  produce  great  and  obvious  efieets  in  a  very  brief 
space  of  time. 

We  cannot  seek  this  experience,  however,  on  the  great  railways  recently 
finished  in  England.  These  carry  but  little  freight.  Their  business  is 
nearly  confined  to  the  conveyance  of  passengers ;  and  though  they  really 
transport  many  tons  of  parcels  and  costly  merchandize,  and  make  a  consid- 
erable show  of  business,  the  actual  tonnage,  compared  with  that  of  some  of 
our  important  canals,  is  insignificant.  Indeed,  the  public  have  not  yet  be- 
come accustomed  to  compare  the  actual  weight  of  the  trade  which  is  trans- 
mitted along  existing  lines  of  railroads,  and  that  which  passes  noiselessly 
through  the  old  canals,  and  there  are  consequently  few  who  have  yet  formed 
a  just  conception  of  their  relative  magnitudes. 

The  London  and  Birmingham  railway  has  already  cost  about  $30,000,- 
000 ;  and  was  graded  with  a  view  to  the  heaviest  traffic ;  but  the  speed  and 
accommodation  which  it  ofiers  are  but  slight  compensation  for  the  price  of 
carriage  at  w.hich  they  must  be  purchased.  With  all  the  labor  bestowed 
upon  this  work ;  with  all  the  outlay  encountered  to  reduce  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation— the  annual  nett  tonnage  upon  it  is  not  greater  than  Jlvt  or  tix 
weeki  trade  of  the  Schuylkill  navigation. 

,  The  Great  Western  road  has  cost  some  $32,000,000.  The  nett  tonnage 
upon  this  line  is  still  less  than  that  upon  the  London  and  Birmingham.  It 
does  not  reach  120,000  through  tons  per  annum. 

But  the  traffic  upon  these  works,  light  as  the  tonnage  is,  has  been  suf- 
ficient, at  the  high  velocity  permitted,  to  produce  great  destruction. 

The  former  commenced  with  two  tracks  of  edge  rail  of  fifty  pounds  per 
yard,  and  wore  much  of  it  out  before  the  line  was  finished. 

The  latter  commenced  with  a  forty-four  pound  bar  between  London  and 
Maidenhead,  and  had  rendered  it  unfit  for  safe  service  nearly  a  year  ago. 
The  still  heavier  iron  which  they  are  now  using  is  not,  of  course,  yet  en- 
tirely destroyed.  But  before  this  time  next  year — if  my  calculations  do  not 
fail — I  shall  produce  evidence  in  this  Journal,  that  a  portion  of  these  seven- 
ty-five pound  bars,  has  also  given  way  under  less  than  500,000  tons  nett. 

At  present,  however,  I  will  confine  myself  to  past  experience,  and  en- 
deavor to  ascertain  from  that  what  sort  of  expectations  we  have  a  right  to 
entertain  for  the  future.  The  new  English  roads  have  added  but  little  to 
our  previous  information  on  this  head ;  but  still  we  are  not  without  a  great 
deal  of  valuable  experience ;  and  it  is  the  duty  of  tthose  who  seek  for  truth, 
and  who  seek  to  exhibit  it  to  others,  to  profit  by  the  best  experience  they  can 
find. 


Coait  of  Transportation  on  iXmlroais.  'i\smtP-- 

In  reference  to  the  subject  before  us,  we  know,         ;i4J/i;j    -      "  *»**^^,  ^'jtM 
r  '       1st.  That  some  eight  or  ten  of  the  railroads  of  this  country,  have  worn 
;-   oat  the  common  half-inch  flat  bar,  with  an  average  aggregate  trade  of  150,- 
:,    000  tons  nett,  drawn  by  locomotive  engines. 

..•J       2d.  The  Camden  and  Amboy  road  has,  in  places,  worn  out  an  edge  rail 
.   weighing  about  40  pounds  per  yard,  with  a  trade  considerably  less  than 
"  V  400,000  tons  nett. 

3d.  The  edge  rail  on  the  Columbia  road,  weighing  33  pounds  per  yard," 
;  has  not  yet  borne  the  passage  of  350,000  tons  on  one  track,  and  is  nearly 
;    destroyed. 

4th.  On  the  Boston  and  Lowell  road,  a  36  pound  rail  was  so  much  in- 
jured,  or  so  much  weaked,  as  to  need  renewing  and  replacing  before  it  had  •' 
J    sustained  the  passage  of  600,000  tons  nett.  ~  '^  .-'     •   ,*^ 

6th.  The  Liverpool  and  Manchester  road  was  opened  in  1830.     In  1835, ' 
X\ie  first  two  tracks  of  edge  rails,  weighing  35  pounds  per  yard,  were  de- 
stroyed and  renewed  ;  and  the  trade  was  less  than  600,000  tons  nett,  on  each ' 
'    track. 

6th.  In  1835,  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  company  relaid  the  portion ' 
.    of  their  road  next  to  Liverpool,  with  edge  rails,  weighing  50  pound  per 
w   yard— or  just  five  pounds  per  yard  heavier  than  those  of  the  Reading  rail-' 
road.     Before  the  close  of  1840,  these  new  rails  (weighing,  I  say,  50  lbs.' 
per  yard,)  were  worn  out,  and  taken  up,  and  substituted  by  two  other  tracks  . 
of  iron,  weighing  64  pounds  per  yard.    These  50  poimds  per  yard  rails ' 
.    were  destroyed  by  about  700,000  tons  nett  on  each  track.     So  that,  in  the 
:    brief  space  of  nine  years,  this  company  destroyed  four  successive  single  * 
'■.  tracks  of  edge  rails  with  an  average  nett  trade  of  about  300,000  tons  per 
y  annum. 

7th.  The  64  pound  rails  next  introduced  on  this  road,  were  found  to  be 
;  /    too  lighty  and  a  75  pound  pattern  was  substituted,  which  is  now  the  adopted  ■■ 
weight     These  rails  of  75  pounds  have  already  begun  to  give  way  at  un- 
j  sound  places — ^the  injury  "  showing  itself  chiefly  in  lamination  and  occa- '; 
sional  splitting  at  the  edges."  -.   «  %t  - 

8th.  The  Stockton  and  Darlington  road,  considered  as  a  single  track,  has 
.:  been  iroTwi  with  edge  rails  from  six  to  eight  times. 
;       Business  commenced  on  this  line  about  the  year  1835.     In  the  year  1834  : 
:J  the  ti:ade  had  reached  338,248  tons.     In  1840  it  had  attained  the  extraordi- ; 
nary  limit  of  803,784  tons,  and  up  to  the  year  1842,  there  had  passed  along  ^- 
.  the  work  a  nett  weight  of  nearly  6,500,000  tons.     At  that  time  six  tracks  ' 
'    had  been  destroyed,  and  taken  up  and  replaced,  besides  the  rails  that  each 
.'.  time  were  introduced,  before  an  entire  change  of  form  was  resolved  o^^ 

•  How  many  tracks  this  patching  may  have  amounted  to,  it  is  probably  im- 
possible now  to  ascertain.     The  cars  on  this  road  are  very  light  and  the  / 
velocity  but  six  miles  per  hour.  a  ..;  « 

It  is  probable  that  each  track  of  this  road  has  sustained  nearly  1,000,000  r 

•  tons ;  and  with  such  cars,  and  at  such  ,a  moderate  speed,  it  is  not  impro-  ' 


100  Cost  of  TVansportation  on  RailrtMdai0 

bable  that  a  50  pound  bar  would  sustain  from  1,200,000  to  1,500,000 
tons. 

9th.  The  London  and  Birmingham  50  potmd  iron  which  was  destroyed 
before  the  work  was  finished,  sustained  about  350,000  tons  on  each  track. 
The  velocity  here  was,  however,  exceedingly  great,  and  the  cars  unusually 
heavy.  ttf 

10th,  The  nett  tonnage  on  the  Great  Western  road,  which  destroyed  the 
44  pound  iron,  did  not  reach  300,000  tons  of  freight  and  passengers  per 
track.   'The  engines  and  cars  are  still  heavier  than  those  of  the  London  and,: 
Birmingham  road,  and  the  average  speed  25  miles  per  hour. 

Now,  these  are  facts  ;  and  this,  whatever  it  is  worth,  is  experience.  The 
intelligent  reader  must  judge  from  the  fects,  whether  or  not  the  cost  of  re- 
newing iron  ought  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  current  expenses,  or  as  a 
thing  so  extraordinary  as  to  require  to  be  excluded  from  the  annual  charges 
altogether,  and  added,  as  is  now  the  universal  custom,  from  year  to  year,  to 
the  cost  of  the  road. 

But  the  rapid  destruction  of  iron  under  the  action  of  a  heavy  trade,  and 

the  measure  which,  in  the  December  number,  I  have  assigned  to  its  durabil- 
ity on  the  Reading  road,  where  the  velocity  is  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  per 
hour,  is  now  but  faintly  denied  ;  or,  if  denied  at  all,  only  by  inexperienced 
patties,  and  in  anonymous  communications.*  _^, 

A  new  view  is  accordingly  taken  of  the  subject,  and  the  important  que»> 
tion  arises  to  determine  the  amount  of  loss  to  the  company  consequent  on 
the  destruction  of  the  iron.  I  mean  to  ofier  no  conjectures  on  this  head 
either,  but  refer  to  known  and  admitted  facts,  as  a  guide  to  my  conclusions. 

I  find  in  the  last  report  of  the  Boston  and  Lowell  railroad  company — the 
only  company  in  this  country,  which  has  renewed  a  considerable  portion  of 
a  track  of  edge  rails  in  one  year,  and  published  the  cost — the  following 
charge : 

"  For  labor  and  sundry  materials,  in  taking  up  twenty  miles  of  track  laid 
with  36  pound  rails,  and  replacing  it  by  rails  of  56  pounds  per  yard,  ex* 
elusive  of  the  cost  of  rail  iron,  $34,162  09."  The  year  before  the  expend- 
iture for  this  object  was  $14,608,  so  that  for  changing  25f  miles  of  edge 
rail,  the  company  incurred  an  expense  of  $48,770,  or  $1,900  per  mile. 

There  are  seventy-one  tons  of  rails  in  a  mile  of  the  track  of  the  Reading 
railroad,  and  the  cost  of  taking  up  the  old  iron  and  putting  down  new,  is, 
therefore,  $1,900  for  71  tons  =  per  ton,  -  -  $26  75 

4  ton  of  new  iron  delivered  in  Philadelphia,  will  cost  under  ^; 

the  present  tariflT,  ...  $6000  ■■^. 

The  old  iron  is  supposed  to  be  worth  along  the  line,  per  ton, 

about  ....  25  00 

Difference  between  the  value  of  new  iron  in  Philadelphia, 
and  old  iron  on  the  ground,  per  ton,  -  -  $36  00 

*  Since  this  wns  printed  I  hare  received  the  last  nnmbei  of  the  BailiMd  Joarit»],  in  which  I  find  my 
Tiews  entiiely  disputed. 


•>■■  ..;-^'...;/SvL. 


Cost  af  TVansporttUion  on  Railroadx.  ,  101 

The  cost  of  changing  the  iron  track  of  the  road  will  then  le  as  follows : 
Seventy  one  tons  of  iron,  taken  up  and  put  down,  at  $36  75,  $1,900 

Difference  between  71  tons  of  new  iron  bought  at  $60,  $4,260 

And  71  tons  of  old  iron  sold  at  $25,  -  -  1,775-2,496. 

Seventy-one  tons  of  new  iron  transported  to,  and  distributed    -»  "'  * '' 

along  the  line  at  $5,  -  ^}  j^; "    -        '"^    -  386 

Cost  per  mile  of  changing  iron,      '';;^!l^  '^.? , '  '^^  $4,740   '--, 

This  sum  of  $4,740  will  be  the  amount  due  to  the  trade  which  will  de- 
stroy the  iron,  or  render  it  unfit  for  safe  usage.     I  know  of  no  iron  which 
.  has  yet  withstood  the  action  of  a  million  tons ;  and  I  know  of  no  iron  of  50 
pounds  or  less,  that  is  likely,  at  the  usual  speed  in  this  country,  to  resist  that 
weight.     If  we  consider  the  rails  of  the  Reading  road  to  be  capable  of  that     * 
effort,  then  we  shall  have  4|  mills  per  ton  per  mile  for  the  value  of  the  iron 
destroyed  by  each  ton  of  coal  descending  the  hne:  or  44^  cents  per  ton  for     - 
the  whole  distance  of  94  miles.     By  adopting  the  rates  of  speed  of  the  .;. 
Stockton  and  Darlington  road,  it  is  probable  that  the  cost  of  the  iron  could  be 
brought  down  to  60  cents  per  ton,  or  near  that  limit;  but  if  the  company 
adopt  the  heavy  cars,  (7^  tons  when  loaded)  and  powerful  engines,  and  heavy 
trains  now  contemplated,  and  continue  the  high  velocity  now  permitted,  the 
destruction  of  iron  will  probably  be  scarcely  compensated  for  by  seventy- 
five  cents  per  ton.  ,  ?■     ;.   o*.  -v  " 

This  is  a  calculation  from  such  data  as  we  are  able  to  obtain.     But  was 
there  ever  a  calculation  of  such  work,  which  was  not  exceeded  by  the  prac-  • 
tical  result?     One  of  the  data  assumes  that  there  will  be  as  many  tons  of 
iron  to  sell,  as  were  originally  bought.     But  the  weight  will  not  hold  out 
It  is  useless  to  inquire  why ;  yet  we  cannot  spread  70,000  bars  of  iron  along 
a  road  100  miles  in  length,  and  beat  them  and  roll  them  for  one  or  two  years „-^' 
and  then  collect  them  all  again.     This  is  a  practical  difficulty  which  must  J-  • 
always  be  encountered  under  such  circumstances.     The  calculation  assumes  4 
that  it  will  not  be  collected ;  and,  besides,  that  the  140,000  bolts,  and  the  '  . 
70,000  chairs  to  be  distributed  and  replaced,  can  likewise  be  found  again.     , 

Many  visionary  estimates  have  been  made  on  this  head,  by  parties  of  littler- 
experience  in  the  handling  of  heavy  materials,  and  in  the  performance  of 
mechanical  work ;  but  the  following  practical  facts  are  a  great  deal  more .-., . 
forcible,  and  will  be  found  to  furnish  data  which  can  be  applied  with  much  *: 
more  certainty  than  any  speculative  estimate  whatever. 

The  South  Carolina  railroad  was  opened  in  the  year  1833 ;  the  trade 
averages  about  25,000  tons.     In  the  semi-aimual  report  for  December  31st,  , 
1838,  five  years  after  the  completion  of  the  work,  we  find  the  following: —  -.  i 
"  deduct  the  following  expenditures,  as  being  rather  for  permanent  improve-  -  .' 
ment  than  current  expenses,  viz ;  ^,*^V; ^i^  >>'' *    "■  *■  •  -  - i 

Machiney,  ^^  >%#  ^  tif^x^rt^s^^f-j^griy^  4v.?<^;^'^  $26,888  12  ;  v; ; '  - 

Spikes,  -        ■■    .^^::^>^i,^^:-:"  ■      V^^^io^^^^     4,582  34     ^■- 

New  rail  iren,    ,^.  -^^>j^,S^M^^«l'«-;/'»-vv,.^;-;-^i^"^'^^;-     3,940  00  etc 


■  tr.j.--  v:-. — -.L^ 


102  Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads.  ^ 

This  hint  to  the  experienced  reader,  is  S3rmptomatic  of  the  contents  of  the 
next  report,  (June  30th,  1839,)  from  which  I  extract  the  following;  .         rr^ 
"  Amount  paid  for  rail  iron  in  Charleston,     $371,679  12 
Less  old  iron  sold  and  unsold,      -  -     92,902  27— $278,776  8&  . 

Cost  of  transportation  of  the  same  oa  Ulasi  r9ad>  axkd  ^ying  ^' 

■■    down,  including  spikes,  -.■";♦;.•.     .  74,40000 

Nett  cost  of  new  iron,   -  -        «,W.  -  $353,176  85" 

Here  we  perceive  that  the  entire  sales  of  the  old  iron  (when  it  was  all  dis- 
posed of,  it  yielded  precisely  $92,325  71,)  exceeded  the  cost  of  putting  the 
new  rail  in  the  track,  but  by  some  $18,000,  while  the  nett  cost  of  the  new 
iron,  after  deducting  the  proceeds  of  sales,  was  $353,176.  Such  is  in  feet 
what  is  to  be  expected.  The  old  iron  will  barely  pay  for  putting  down  the 
new,  and  the  loss  to  the  company  will  be  about  equal  to  the  cost  of  the  new 
iron'  delivered  at  the  sea  port.  j^,- 

A  writer  in  the  Railroad  Journal  proposes  a  scheme  for  the  Reading  rail- 
road to  make  money,  by  procuring  rails  free  of  duty,  and  selling  the  old  ma- 
terial, after  it  has  been  worn  out,  with  the  advantages  of  the  duty. 
'"  The  opetation  was  conducted  under  precisely  those  circumstances  on  the 
South  Carolina  road ;  but  the  above  balance  will  show  that  the  speculation 
did  not  turn  out  so  well  in  that  case.  Indeed  I  have  known  many  instances 
in  which  the  iron  has  been  renewed,  but  I  have  never  heard  of  a  company, 
here  or  abroad,  that  found  the  speculation  a  profitable  one. 

In  the  accounts  of  the  South  Carolina  road,  the  new  iron  is  charged  to 
"permanent  improvements,"  (the  old  iron  lasted ^ve  years)  and  the  companv 
recommenced  with  augmented  capital.  .; 

I  have  but  one  word  to  add  in  reference  to  the  durability  of  iron  rails, 
subjected  to  the  action  of  a  trade  like  that  of  the  Schuylkill  I  have  already 
stated  that  if  the  Reading  railroad  company  expect  to  obtain  the  whole  trade 
of  the  canal,  they  must  prepare  for  the  entire  renewal  of  a  single  track  every 
year ;  and  I  now  add,  if  the  company  carry  500,000  toru  of  coal  during 
the  present  year,  as  they  now  propose  to  do,  the  new  iron  cannot  be  put 
down,  before  that  now  on  the  track  will  be  so  nearly  destroyed  as  to  be  un- 
safe. 

It  is  understood  that  this  company  has  recently  obtained  an  additional  loan 
of  $1,000,000.  With  this  it  is  proposed  to  stock  and  equip  the  line,  and 
procure  the  additional  track,  and  jprepare  for  the  conveyance  of  the  whole 
trade  of  the  Schuylkill. 

I  therefore  advance  this  additional  proposition.  After  this  money  is  ex- 
pended, and  the  company  shall  have  put  themselves,  by  its  aid,  in  the  position 
which  they  seek  to  occupy,  they  will  neither,  in  the  first  place,  be  able  to 
carry  more  than  half  the  tonnage  of  the  Schuylkill,  and,  in  the  second  place, 
if  they  succeed  in  obtaining  half  the  tonnage,  they  will  not  be  able  to  engage 
vigorously  in  the  business  of  1845,  without  a  new  loan  of  a  million  of  dol- 
lars ;  and,  finally,  if  they  continue  to  operate  through  the  present  and  the 
next  year,  they  cannot  engage  in  the  business  of  1846,  without  another  loan 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads.  103 

of  at  least  one  million.  In  short,  waiving  all  regard  to  interest  on  their  ca- 
pital, it  is  impossible  jar  them  to  carry  the  Schuylkill  coal  trade.,  loitkout 
borrowing  one  million  of  dollars  per  annum.  And  when  they  cease  bor- 
rowing they  must  cease  carrying.  I  now  dismiss  the  consideration  of  a 
road,  which,  in  my  opinion,  was  most  unwisely  commenced — which  has 
been  prosecuted  in  folly,  and  which  can  only  terminate  in  disaster.  On  this 
result  I  desire  to  rest  my  claim  to  the  public  confidence. 

Additional  application  of  the  formula. — In  the  November  number  of 
the  Journal,  I  offered  a  formula  for  the  computation  of  the  annual  expenses 
of  lines  of  railway,  and  exhibited  its  application  and  agreement  with  the 
actual  results  on  seventeen  of  the  most  important  roads  in  the  country. 

The  greatest  deviation  of  that  formula  from  the  actual  result  was  12  per 
cent,  which  occurred  in  the  case  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  for  the 
year  1841.  * 

:>  In  speaking  of  the  deviations,  I  added  these  words :  "  It  will  probably  be 
seen,  on  some  future  occasion,  that  those  roads  which  now  exhibit  expenses 
above  the  formula,  will  fall  below  it  for  other  years  ;  a  remark  which  is  ap- 
plicable to  the  Boston  and  Lowell,  Baltimore  and  Ohio  and  South  Carolina 
roads."  Since  the  publication  of  that  article,  I  have  received  through  the 
politeness  of  Mr.  Latrobe,  the  able  engineer  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail- 
road, the  report  of  the  operations  on  that  work,  for  the  year  1843,  together 
with  some  valuable  manuscript  details,  of  which  I  hope  to  make  useful  ap- 
plication in  the  further  prosecution  of  my  present  study.  I  am  also  indebted 
to  Charles  S.  Storrow,  Esq.,  the  valuable  superintendant  of  the  Boston  and 
Lowell  xoad,  for  similar  statistics  in  relation  to  the  excellent,  and,  I  beiieve, 
prosperous  work  under  his  charge,  in  anticipation  of  the  publication  of  the 
report.  I  have  also  received  from  Mr.  Storrow  similar  information  relating 
to  his  line,  for  the  year  1841,  which  I  had  not  before  obtained,  and  from  the 
report  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company,  I  find  the  facts  necessa- 
ry for  the  application  of  the  formula  also  to  the  Baltimore  and,  Washington 
road  for  the  year  1843. 

These  results  have  all  been  procured  since  the  publication  of  the  formula  j 
and  I  therefore  proceed  to  test  it  by  making  the  application  to  those  lines. 
.  •  It  will  be  recollected  that  I  ofl!ered,  in  the  first  place,  a  formula  for  the 
determination  of  the  expenses  for  a  new /i»e,  viz :  -j;*  •; .' :  rv^Tr- 

24N      9T       7P  '.;      ,..,-,.^'^^-'5-*d^^;': 

"Ioo"~'"iooo+iooo"^^^*' '        "    '  " 

And  in  the  second  place,  a  rule  for  the  computation  of  the  expenses  of  main- 
taining an  old  road,  or  road  which  had  been  opened  more  than  four  years, 

viz:  ■^■f?;  v->' v--'»^.?' 

275N    14T     7P  .' .  .     .  ■.v^v:-^ 

100    '  1000  '  1000  "^^^  *• 
In  both  expressions,  N  stands  for  the  number  of  miles  run  by  the  locomo- 
tive engines ;  T  for  the  tons  nett  conveyed  one  mile  j  P  for  the  number  of 
passengers  conveyed  one  mile,  and  h  for  the  length  of  the  road  in  miles.     rJ 


104 


Cost  of  Transportaiim  9n  t^itroai$^'^ 


In  applying  the  formula  to  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road,  it  is  to  be  borne 
in  mind,  that  of  the  178  miles  in  use  for  the  year  1843,  but  82  miles  were 
opened  previous  to  1842,  and  that  the  whole  of  the  remaining  96  miles  is 
new  road. 

The  result  of  the  application  to  these  several  lines  is  exhibited  in  the  three 
following  tables : 


■i^XJ'T. 


WiV 


TABLE. 


^■ 


.^- 


Name  of  Road. 

i 

>< 

1841 
1842 
1843 

26 
26 
26 

3 

-a 

2 

» 

10 
10 
10 

ti 

125,296 
143,607 
134,982 

403,285 

n 

si 

90,113 

93,927 

114,711 

298,751 

J3 

li 

li 
11 

Via 

Boston  and  Lowell, 
Boston  and  Lowell, 
Boston  and  Lowell, 

170,057 
179,819 
176,537 

1526,413 

$119,469 
131,012 
109,367 

SI  11, 207 
119,409 
124,004 

Aggregate  for  those  three 

yean 

3. 

359,848 

354,629 

It  will  be  recollected  that  I  anticipated,  in  the  November  number,  that 
subsequent  results  would  be  more  favorable  to  the  Boston  and  Lowell  road^ 
than  that  of  1842.  We  here  find  it  so.  In  1842,  the  formula  fell  $1 1,603, 
or  9  per  cent,  belov)  the  actual  expenses.  In  1843  the  calculated  expenses 
rise  $14,637  above  the  actual  expenses.  But  my  remark  in  the  December 
number  should  be  recollected  in  these  comparisons  : — "  The  formula  exhibits 
what  it  was  intended  to  show — the  average  for  a  number  of  years."  And 
hence,  we  have  another  test.  The  aggregate  expenses  on  the  Boston  and 
Lowell  road  for  three  years  are,  as  we  observe  by  the  table,  $359,848.  The 
calculated  expenses,  $354,620.     This  is  surely  close  enough. 

Again,  we  will  take  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road,  for  the  year  1843,  for 
the  purpose  of  an  additional  application.  ■■■m- 

TABLE.  '^^ 


Nuae  of  Roaa. 

i 

1841 
1843 

li 

J' 

82 
178 

8 
1 

82  1-2 
82  1-2 

H 

Sa 

Si- 

299,617 
509,765 

44,477 
39,519 

34,380 
33,670 

H 

• 

Calculated 
expenses. 

4i 

1  1-2 

Baltimore  and  Ohio, 
Baltimore  and  Ohio, 

35220,135 
287,153 

S192,925 
322,075 

A 

ggreg 

atec 

xpense 

s  for  tWo 

years, 

507,288 

515,000 

I  have  taken  no  notice  of  operations  on  this  work  for  the  year  1842,  be- 
cause during  that  year  the  line  was  opened,  in  parts,  from  Harper's  Ferry 
to  Cumberland. 

The  application  for  the  year  1841,  gave  a  result  of  $27,210  below  the 
actual  expenses.  I  stated  at  the  time  that  the  subsequent  expenses  would  be 
likely  to  fall  below  the  calculated  expenses.  We  accordingly  find  the  result 
for  the  next  year  comes  $34,000  below  the  formula.  Here,  then,  is  another 
and  most  conclusive  confirmation  of  the  correctness  of  the  formula,  and  of 
the  principles  on  which  it  is  founded.  If  we  take  the  sum  of  the  expenses 
for  the  two  years,  we  find  the  calculation  $515,000,  and  the  fact  $507,288. 

But  we  have  yet  a  third  case :  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  report  for 
1843,  exhibits,  as  has  been  stated,  the  results  on  the  Baltimore  and  Wash- 


Cost  of  TransperUition  on  Ra,Hroads. 


105 


ington  road,  likewise  for  that  year.     These,  together  with  those  of  1841  and 

1642,  are  presented  ia  the  following 

^  TABLE.  -.■-■t-u^^.^ 


Name  of  Road. 

i 

tll.-= 

Miles 
run. 

Calculated 
expenses. 

4 

Baltimore  &  Washington, 
Baltimore  &■  Washington, 

1841-2 
1843 

30  1-2 
30  1-2 

91,428 
96,716 

27,360 
26,470 

114,260 

86,880 

$73,684 
68,866 

76,166 
71,676 

1:    Here  is  an  agreement  within  four  per  cent. 

When  I  presented  this  formula  in  the  November  number  of  the  Journal, 
and  exhibited  its  application  to  seventeen  lines  of  railway,  I  stated  that  these 
seventeen  lines  were  all  the  roads  for  which  I  had  been  able  to  collect  the 
statistical  information  necessary  for  the  application.  I  had  written  to  many 
companies,  and  had  generally  been  supplied  with  the  facts  required,  and 
which  were  not  given  in  their  reports.  In  some  instances,  however,  they 
were  unable  to  furnish  the  information  which  I  needed  ;  in  two  instances  I 
received  no  reply  to  my  letter ;  and  in  one — and  I  am  happy  to  say  one  in- 
stance onl]/ — the  officer  declined  making  the  affairs  of  the  company  public. 
r  Since  then  the  three  companies  above  named  have  published  their  reports; 
Hud  they  are  the  only  reports  for  the  year  1843,  which  I  have  yet  received. 
These  reports  add  confirmation  to  the  previous  proof  Still  I  advance  the 
formula  as  an  approximation  only,  which  I  hope,  with  the  aid  of  my  pro- 
fessional friends,  and  future  facts,  so  to  modify  and  improve,  as  to  render  its 
application  general  and  certain.  It  is  the  expression  of  the  true  law  ;  but 
the  •constants  are  to  be  buih  up  by  multiplied  facts,  until  there  can  no  longer 
be  room  to  doubt  its  indications. 

I  have  endeavored,  so  far,  to  conform  to  the  method  which  modern  science 
points  out  as  proper  to  be  pursued  in  practical  inquiries.  Much  injury  has 
been  inflicted  on  the  great  cause  of  internal  improvement,  and  especially  of 
railro&d  improvement,  by  the  erroneous  opinions  of  enthusiastic,  but  unwise 
advocates.  But  a  new  order  of  things  has  grown  up,  and  a  new  sj'stem  of 
inquiry  is  rapidly  gaining  ground.  The  seed  of  true  principles  has  been 
sown,  and  the  roots  have  struck  deep  into  the  soil  of  this  country.  Under 
the  cotttrol  of  these  principles,  and  the  direction  of  cool  and  honest  advo- 
cates, the  railroad  cause  will  take  fresh  growth,  and  flourish  with  a  vigor 
and  healthfulness  which  k  has  not  yet  exhibited.  Some  visionary  and  ex- 
travagant projects,  which  are  now  bearing  heavy  upon  it,  will  sink  under  the 
pressure  of  their  own  weight,  and  serve,  even  in  their  ruins,  as  salutary 
guides  for  the  future. 

During  the  transition,  truth  will  be  for  a  time  obscured,  and  possibly 
borne  down ;  but  it  cannot  be  overcome.  It  is  sustained  by  a  power  which 
is  invincible.  Truth  makes  no  compromise  of  principle — ^yields  nothing  for 
the  sake  of  present  popularity — contributes  nothing  to  the  cause  of  public 
deception — and  moves  fearlessly,  surely,  and,  in  the  end,  ail-powerfully,  to 
its  mark.  .  .  ,  . 


•■*■ 


106  *'      Institute  of  CivU  Engineers. 

[NoTft, — In  the  January  number  of  the  Journal,  I  offered  an  estimafe  of 
the  probable  expenses  on  the  Reading  railroad  for  the  year  1843,  in  antici- 
pation of  the  publication  of  any  facts  on  that  subject :  assuming  the  travel  at 
40,000  passengers,  and  the  trade  at  250,000  tons.  This  estimate  was  $265,- 
000.  I  regret  to  find,  on  perusing  the  last  report,  that  the  company  have 
not  thought  it  expedient  to  publish  their  expenses  for  the  whole  year ;  but 
have  preferred  to  exclude  the  last  month,  along  with  the  heavy  bilb  which 
the  close  of  the  year  usually  brings  with  it  The  expenses  published,  for 
eleven  months,  amount  to  $221,060  89.  I  should  have  been  exceedingly 
gratified  to  know  the  amount  of  expenses  for  the  whole  year. 
The  indebtedness  of  the  company  since  the  date  of  the  previous 

report  of  January  1,  1843,  has  been  increased,  $1,252,659 

The  receipts  for  the  first  eleven  months  of  the  year  amount  to,         385,195 

Aggregate  expenditure  for  eleven  months,  $1,637,854 

A  statement  of  the  items  which  have  consumed  this  enormous  sum  would 
certainly  be  read  with  interest  and  instruction ;  and  it  is  greatly  to  be  regretted 
that  at  this  particular  period,  when  the  public  are  exceedingly  anxious  for 
truth  and  information,  the  directors  have  deemed  it  imprudent  to  publish  it.] 
..  Note. — The  writer  has  expressed  his  opinions  on  an  important  subject 
without  reserve,  or  concealment ;  should  his  facts  be  publicly  disputed,  or 
conflicting  facts  be  presented,  by  any  of  his  professional  brethren,  he  trusts 
that  they  will  have  the  consideration  to  do  it  over  their  own  signatures,  that 
he  may  have  the  guarantee  of  a  name  for  the  facts  which  they  contribute. 
He  will  be  found  as  frank  in  correcting  his  errors,  if  he  ha^  committed  any, 
as  he  is  sincere  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions. 

(To  be  continued.)  - 

For  the  Anericui  Railroad  Jonmal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

Gentlemen  :  On  the  receipt  of  the  December  number  of  your  Journal, 
I  immediately  transmitted  through  the  postmaster  of  this  place,  the  sum  of 
two  dollars,  for  my  subscription  for  1844  My  last  payment  was  in  Novem- 
ber, 1842,  of  five  dollars,  for  the  year,  from  July  1,  1842,  to  June  30, 1843; 
but  the  change  in  the  times  of  publication  made  this  amount  to  cover  the 
time  up  to  December  31,  1843,  as  I  understood.     Am  \  right  % 

On  the  subject  of  the  establishment  of  a  society  of  civil  engineers,  I  have  a 
suggestion  to  make,  which  appears  to  me  plausible,  and  much  more  facile 
in  its  execution  than  any  other  which  I  have  seen  proposed.  The  National 
Institute,  for  the  promotion  of  science,  established  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
is  now  fully  organized,  and  in  most  successful  operation.  It  is  organized 
into  various  departments :  as  the  department  of  geology  and  mineralogy — 
of  botany— of  agriculture,  etc.  Many  of  the  engineers  of  the  United  States 
are  members  of  this  Institute.  Now,  why  should  not  the  engineers  genet- 
ally,  throughout  the  country,  become  members,  and  organize,  (for  this  ia  a 
part  of  the  plan  of  the  Institute,  if  I  understand  aright,)  in  connection  with  the 
other  departments,  a  "  department  of  engineers."  The  advantages  of  this 
plan  may  be  easily  seen.     The  United  States  has  comparatively  a  large 


Institute  of  Civil  Engineers.  107 

body  of  engineers  in  its  employ — for  independent  of  the  two  military  corps, 
numbering,  I  believe,  some  84  officers,  there  are  numerous  civil  assistants 
and  agents  superintending  the  public  works  (I  refer  to  all  civil  constructions 
* — such  as  the  improvement  of  harbors,  rivers,  building  light  houses,  etc. — 
carried  on  by  the  government)  in  employ.  The  information  which  these 
gentlemen  could  furnish,  as  to  prices  of  labor  and  materials,  and  plans  of 
construction,  under  peculiar  circumstances,  of  local  works,  etc.,  if  properly 
embodied,  would  be  of  infinite  service  to  the  profession.  All  these  gentle- 
men, being  members  of  the  institute,  would  give  their  hearty  co-operation 
in  forming  the  department  of  engineering.  Washington  city  possesses  many 
advantages  over  other  places,  for  the  meetings  of  the  society.  Although  the 
States  and  private  companies  have  in  most  instances  carried  on  their  works 
independent  of  the  government,  (that  is,  without  its  pecuniary  aid,)  yet  the 
presence  of  some  one  officer  of  each  work,  has,  at  some  time  in  each  year, 
been  required  at  the  seat  of  government,  to  transact  business  in  connection 
with  their  work,  at  the  departments.  This  business  could  be  transacted  much 
more  readily  through  the  engineer  of  the  work,  more  particularly  when  his 
connection  with  the  institute  will  give  him  an  acquaintance  with  the  locality 
and  means  of  obtaining  every  species  of  information  that  may  be  turned  to 
advantage  on  the  work  on  which  he  may  be  engaged.  The  existence,  too, 
of  the  patent  office  there,  where  all  new  mechanical  inventions  are  to  be 
found,  many  of  which  are  of  great  importance  to  the  engineer,  will  prove  a 
great  inducement  to  them.  ^s*.-.  jk'  ■»-■<-  •.,y.'.-^%Mi-.^-ir : 

.  >  •  Another  point  It  is  generally  known  that  works  on  engineering,  andl 
the  abstruse  sciences  connected  with  it,  are  high  priced,  they  being  generally 
the  productions  of  foreign  engineers  and  men  of  science,  and  published  in 
Europe,  and  but  few  copies,  comparatively,  ever  imported  to  this  country. 
Oa  account  of  their  costliness,  and  the  expense  of  transporting  them  from 
station  to  station,  (for  there  are  but  few  of  our  profession  that  can  ever  per- 
manently locate  themselves  in  one  place,  and  have  a  "  home^^  but  must  more 
from  point  to  point,  as  the  progress  of  the  work  ori  wnich  they  are  engaged 
advances,  or  in  search  of  new  employment,)  not  many  engineers  can  ever 
form  for  thenaselves  a  library,  their  low  salaries  and  the  heavy  expense  to 
which  they  are  always  subjected  being  another  obstacle.  In  their  visits  to 
Washington  this  loss  can  be  in  a  great  measure  removed,  by  the  library  of 
congress,  and  the  libraries  of  the  war  department  and  the  bureau,  where 
copies  of  most  of  tl^se  works  will  be  found,  and  the  known  courteousness 
of  the  officers,  in  whose  charge  they  are  placed,  will  render  them  at  all  times 
accessible  to  the  profession.  The  library  of  the  institute  will  soon  be  large 
enough  to  offer  advantages  to  the  man  of  science  sufficiently  ample  to  war- 
rant the  spending  of  some  days  within  its  walk,  independent  of  the  attraction 
of  the  museum,  botanical  gardens,  etc. 

Then  as  to  the  meetings  of  the  department  of  engineering.  Under  the 
by-laws  of  the  institute,  each  department  holds  its  meetings  independent  of 
t^^ jj^eaeral  fi»s$(iiip  of  the  instg^te.    JNow  the  objectioos  to  an  independent 


106  Institute  cf  Civil  Engineen. 

society  of  civil  engineexs  are  th&most  strongly  developed  on  this  one  point 
— the  almost  utter  impossibility  of  getting  a  sufficient  number  of  the  mem- 
bers together  at  the  place  of  meeting  to  form  a  quorum.  Under  the  organ- 
ization I  propose,  one-iburth  or  one-third,  (or  indeed  any  number  less  than  a 
majority,)  of  the  department  may  constitute  a  quorum  to  organize  a  meeting', 
at  which  essays  may  be  read,  and  conversations  held  on  subjects  connected 
with  the  profession ;  while  the  constitution  and  by-laws  being  already  formed, 
and  all  changes  in  them  being  effected  in  general  meetings  of  the  institute, 
on  the  proposition,  verbally,  or  in  writing,  of  any  member,  there  will  not  be 
the  same  absolute  necessity  of  regular  meetings  at  stipulated  times  as  in  the 
other  case.  The  records  of  the  department  required  to  be  kept  of  each  meet- 
ing will  show  to  those  members  who  can  only  attend  a  iew  meeting,  what 
has  been  previously  done. 

On  the  subject  of  the  continuance  of  your  Journal,  one  word.  Although 
the  results  of  these  meetings  of  the  department  will  be  made  known  through 
the  bulletins  of  the  society  annually  published ;  yet  it  Appears  to  me  that 
the  profession  will  require  some  other  additional  medium  of  communication, 
and  that  a  great  deal  of  statistical  information,  originating  from  these  meet- 
ings, and  from  the  free  interchange  of  opinions  among  the  members,  may  be 
promulgated  to  the  world,  which  would  not  find  its  way  into  those  bulletins. 
A  regular  monthly  or  semi-monthly  Journal  must  be  supported  by  the  pro- 
fession, and  why  not  the  one  already  established,  and  which  has  been  so  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  for  twelve  years  past  ?  Your  plan  of  advertisements 
for  travellers,  too,  is  admirable.  Every  traveller  has,  time  and  again,  felt 
the  necessity  for  some  such  Journal,  in  which  are  concentrated  notices  of  all 
lines  of  travel,  whereby  he  may  inform  himself,  before  starting,  of  what 
.♦route  he  can  adopt  to  reach  any  given  point  to  which  business  or  pleasure 
'  may  call  him  with  the  greatest  convenience  and  despatch.  An  individual-, 
for  instance,  starting  from  Boston  or  New  York  for  New  Orleans,  if  he 
adopts  the  sea  route,  knows  what  he  has  to  encounter ;  but  if  he  wishes  to 
adopt  the  land  route,  he  starts  in  entire  ignorance,  in  mo«t  instances,  of  his 
means  of  locomotion,  beyond  some  given  point  on  his  route,  or  its  cost ;  nor 
has  he  any  chance  of  determining  which  would  be  the  speediest  oi'  most 
comfortable  route  for  him.  He  may  coast  by  railroads,  steamboats,  and 
stages  along  the  Atlantic  frontier,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  or  diverging 
from  this  route  in  Maryland  or  Virginia,  may  strike  the  Ohio,  where  he 
will  command  a  tolerably  pleasant,  and  very  often  a  comfortable  and  speedy 
journey  by  steamboat  down  the  "  father  of  rivers."  Such  will  be  the  case, 
too,  with  the  route  through  Pennsylvania  But  the  traveller  knows  not, 
perhaps,  that  an  equally  convenient,  speedier  and  more  comfortable  route, 
during  parts  of  the  year,  exists  from  Albany,  through  Buffalo,  by  the  lakes, 
to  Chicago,  thence  across  northern  Illinois  by  stages  and  steamers,  (and  in 
a  year  or  two  canal  boats  will  vary  the  mode  of  travel  through  this  legion) 
to  the  Mississippi,  where  stealers  await  him  every  day  for  conveyance  to 
the  great  commercial  emporium  of  the  south-west     Thus  travellers,  as  wel) 


Communication,     i  100 

as  railroad,  steamboat  and  stage  companies,  will  derive  immense  benefit  from 
your  Journal.  The  proprietors  of  lines  of  travel  would  derive  increased 
benefit  in  making  their  routes  known  beyond  the  mere  region  of  country 
through  which  they  pass,  while  the  advertisements  of  manufacturers  would 
make  known  to  those  interested,  the  cheapest  and  most  expeditious  means  for 
repairs,  etc. 

In  your  November  number  of  the  Journal,  I  received  a  printed  circular, 
on  which  I  was  taxed  by  the  postmaster  here  with  letter  postage.  The 
amount  was,  to  be  sure,  very  small,  and  on  that  score  do  not  object  to  its  pay- 
ment; but  the  principle  involved,  leads  me  to  mention  that  this  system  of  cir> 
culars,  (issued,  too  as  this  was,  in  an  evasive  way,)  is  very  objectionable. 
To  have  refused  to  receive  this  circular  from  the  office  on  my  part,  would 
have  involved  its  authors  in  a  suit  by  government,  and  a  tax  of  five  dollars, 
with  the  cost  of  prosecution.  This  I  could  not  consent  to  do ;  yet  I  must 
protest  against  the  system,  as  an  imposition — and  this  is  not  the  first  nor  the 
twentieth  time  that  it  has  been  levied — when  it  should  have  been  paid  by 
those  who  sent  them.  Charles  N.  Hagner.    * 

- .  [The  circular  alluded  to  by  our  valuable  correspondent  was  enclosed  by 
the  present  editor,  without  a  thought  on  his  part  as  to  the  consequences,  or  a 
design,  as  he  believes,  on  the  part  of  the  gentlemen  who  asked  the  favor,  of 
dealing  unjustly  by  others.  The  cause  of  complaint  will  not,  however, 
again  occur. — D.  K.  M.\ 


For  the  American  Railroad  Jonrnal  and  Mechanics'  Ma^zine. 

Your  correspondent  "  Y,"  in  your  February  number,  adverts  to  Mr.  EI- 
\q\!&  famous  plan  of  railways,  for  which  the  community  was  to  be  measured 
about  as  often  as  its  individuals  for  their  clothes,  which  at  first  were  to  be 
made  as  skimpy  as  possible  and  of  no  better  material  than  toood,  from  kiod 
>  to  foot — neither  safety  nor  comfort  being  necessary  ingredients  while  only  a 
few  travellers  were  to  be  accommodated,  but  as  these  increased  and  lives 
only  becoming  of  any  importance  by  their  numbers^  stronger  materials 
could  be  used,  and  the  community,  from  time  to  time,  reraeasured  and 
supplied  with  a  new  fit,  as  nearly  conformable  to  its  growth  as  the  irregular 
character  of  this  would  permit,  at  one  time  standing  still,  and  at  another  run- 
ning up  a  foot  in  a  night  This  apparantly  clever  idea  I  recollect  was  not 
at  the  time,  however,  deemed  feasible  by  you,  nor  has  it  since  at  all  taken 
with  the  world  at  large,  but  on  the  contrary,  it  has  come  to  be  more  evident 
that  the  most  substantial  at  the  start  was  the  truest  policy,  and  that  great 
expense  was  necessary  to  true  economy  in  railways.  This  discovery  has 
had  the  good  efiect  of  preventing  useless  and  wasteful  outlay  by  laying  them 
down  where  they  were  not  wanted,  as  was  often  the  case  formerly.  The 
railway  here  understood  is  that  which  is  at  all  worthy  of  consideration  or 
that  accomplishes  a  speed  of  at  least  fifteen  to  twenty  miles  per  hour. 

In  introducing  this  subject  again,  the  evident  aim  of  your  correspondent 
is  to  sneer  at  the  Reading  railway,  and  spread  as  far  as  possible  the  same 


110  *'  ■•'     '        Communication.  -.^.i- 


i4^^^^ 


sort  of  slanders  against  it  as  have  lately  filled  the  Philadelphia  papers,  buts.:; 
which  happily  were  so  gross  as  to  lose  their  effect,  and  to  fall  still-bom  from  >■-: 
the  press — much  to  the  mortification  of  their  concoctors. 

The  impression  which  he  would  have  prevail,  is  that  the  said  railway  in 
its  necessarily  large  expenditures,  gets  no  value  therefor,  and  reach  what . 
they  may,  it  can  never  be  worth  anything ;  or  in  his  own  words,  "  its  cost 
'will  be  its  only  merit." 

In  the  face  of  this,  however,  the  canal  he  advocates  as  even  now  so  much  i , 
more  efficient  than  this  railway,  has  applied  to  the  Pennsylvania  legislature  •' 
for  leave  to  enlarge  its  capacity,  as  a  means  of  better  competing  with  this  '; 
despised  rival,  and  which  it  cannot  do  unless  at  a  very  heavy  outlay,  and 
with  even  then  a  doubtful  result.     Let  the  merit  of  the  respective  expendi- 
tures on  these  two  works  be  impartially  judged,  and  depend  on  it,  the  rail-  ' 
way  will  be  found  to  have  spent  nothing  that  has  not  secured  to  it  a  more  ef-  'r 
fective  provision  for  doing  the  business  contended  for.  . 

The  feet  is,  that  some  five  or  six  years  ago,  a  notification,  then  much  \ 
laughed  at  by  all  the  canals,  was  issued  to  such  as  were  carriers  of  coal — 
the  X  pamphlet,  bound  in  green,  was  the  medium — that  a  cheaper  carrier 
was  then  in  course  of  construction,  which,  when  properly  ready  would  fully  , 
establish  that  fact     The  Reading  railway  was  here  meant — which  having  ' 
now  fairly  entered  the  lists,  the  canals  are  found  to  wince  already,  and  to  ' 
vent  their  agonies,  as  before  stated,  in  vain  abuse,  as  if  no  warning  had  been    . 
given  them. 

When  the  notification  alluded  to,  was  issued  in  1839,  the  cost  by  the  canal 
given  therein  and  afterwards  confirmed  by  the  board  of  trade  of  Pottsville, 
including  freight  at  $1  28,  and  toll  at  92  cts.  per  ton,  with  wastage,  ship-  ;. 
ping,  etc.,  was  for  coal,  between  Pottsville  and  Philadelphia  per  ton,  $3  21  ' 
In  that  notification  the  then  estimated  cost  by  the  railway  in  progress 
was  79  cts.,  exclusive  of  toll,  for  which  may  be  added  ^  ct.  per  ton 
per  mile,  say  47  cts.,  making  the  whole  cost  to  compare  with  the 
above  per  ton,  -  -  -  -  -     1  26 

Difference  as  made  in  1839  in  favor  of  the  railway,  -  $1  95 

At  this  day,  however,  in  1844,  when  all  things  have  shrunk  in  value  to 
near  a  minimum,  and  the  competition  of  the  railway  has  had  some  influence, 
we  find  as  to  the  main  items  of  freight  and  toll,  these  two  rivals  now  stand-  ; 
ing  as  follows : 

By  canal,  freight  70  cts.,  toll  36  cts.,  per  ton  from  Pottsville,  $1  06  ■ 

To  which  is  to  be  added,  agreeable  to  the  estimate  of  most  of  "■  ^ 

the  operators,  since  they  have  had  experience  of  the  rail- 
way, sundry  items  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  canal,  amount- 
ing in  all  to  -  -  -  -  40 — 1  40 
By  railway,  now  while  in  process  of  receiving  the  trade,  the     , 

charge  for  freight  and  toll  is  for  the  present  between  Potts-  ■' '  ' 

Tills  and  Richmond  or  Philadelphia,  -  •  1  10 

•0~96 


r/>  •..■^■..•*.J»    .J..- 


Raie9  of  Fare  and  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads.  '  it  I 

making  a  margin  of  36  cents  in  &yor  of  the  railway,  showing  that  if  the 
: :  whole  toll  were  remitted  on  the  canal,  the  railway  could  still  retain  the  trade, 
-  and  will  hereafter  no  doubt  avail  itself  of  this  favorable  position  to  raise  its 
rate  to  $1  25  at  least 

The  consumer  ha^  come  off  the  best  in  this  contest,  the  saving  to  him  in 
round  numbers  being  about  $2  per  ton,  or  on  the  whole  present  consump- 
tion of  1,200,000  tons,  say  $2,400,000,  which  may  be  employed  in  some 
oth^r  purpose  of  use  or  luxury.  Next  to  the  advantage  obtained  by  this 
railway,  of  reducing  the  price  of  coal  near  one-half,  will  be  that  of  securing 
a  uniformity  of  price  for  it  throughout  the  year,  worth  collaterally  little  less 
than  the  direct  reduction  of  cost  in  the  business  it  will  attract  JL 


RATES  OF  FA&E  AND  RATES  OF  SPEED  ON  RAILROADS. 

A  great  diversity  of  opinion  exists  in  the  public  mind  on  these  two  sub- 
jects connected  with  railroads,  in  relation  to  which,  as  it  seems  to  us,  great 
accuracy  is  attainable.  We  have  resolved,  in  consequence,  on  submitting  to 
our  readers  our  own  views  in  relation  to  them,  in  the  hope  that  they  may, 
in  some  degree,  tend  to  remove  the  confusion  resulting  rather,  as  it  appears 
to  us,  from  a  disposition  to  generalize  too  far,  than  from  a  want  of  proper 
observation,  or  any  difficulty  in  arriving  at  correct  conclusions. 

The  proposition  is  often  broadly  laid  down,  that  every  reduction  of  rates 
on  travel  is  attended  with  an  increase,  not  only  in  the  gross,  but  also  the  nett 
receipts  of  a  railroad.  Of  course,  pushed  to  an  extreme,  it  is  necessarily 
incorrect,  or  we  should  have  to  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  that  no  fare  at  all 
was  ih6  best  case  for  a  railroad.  The  proposition  is  undoubtedly  true,  that 
reductions  of  fare  have  so  far,  in  our  country,  been  advantageous  to  the  com- 
panies making  them.  This,  however,  only  proves  that  hitherto  the  fares  on 
most  lines  of  improvement  have  been  above,  rather  than  below  the  point  of 
greatest  advantage,  not  that  they  may  not  be  very  readily  too  low,  as  well 
as  too  high. 

In  looking  into  the  subject,  it  strikes  us  that  there  is  an  entire  analogy  be- 
tween the  principles  which  should  govern  in  the  adoption  of  rates  of  fare  on 
a  railroad,  and  a  revenue  tariff  on  imports.  The  latter  may  be  so  high  as 
to  put  a  stop,  in  a  great  degree,  to  importation,  or  it  may  lead,  in  exposed  sit- 
uations, to  smuggling,  or  both  consequences  may  result  In  the  same  way, 
a  high  rate  of  fare  may  be  deeply  injurious  to  a  company,  by  diminishing 
the  number  of  travellers,  on  their  railroad,  or  in  the  case  of  unprotected  lines, 
it  may  induce  the  adoption  of  inferior  routes,  or  both  results  may  ensue, 
irhe  prosperity  of  the  line  of  railroad  communication  between  New  york 
and  Washington,  for  example,  has,  we  have  little  doubt,  been  essentially  re- 
tarded by  injudiciously  high  rates.  Between  New  York  and  Philadelphia, 
the  monopoly  has  so  far  been  complete,  and  the  high  rate  of  &re  has  ope- 
rated mainly  in  reducing  the  number  of  travellers  between  these  cities,  to, 
we  verily  believe,  less  than  one-half  of  what  it  would  be,  were  the  &re6 
placed  at  two-thirds  the  present  rates,  with  a  somewhat  higher  rate  of  speed. 


■     ..-^  •;':•••   ..-•        ■;  f^i 'X'.  «-A  V  :  ■  :   :■  ^  ■••-'-  •?-:^|. -•:!■.  ■■■'■"■•:  V--^'rv*-- ' 

■'      '  ■■■■'-'  ■■■■•■■■  ■'.--.{:.  '.■   t    •-    ;•  J•;^4.^^^ 

11%  Rates  of  Fare  and  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads.    / 

But  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  much  more  serious  consequences 
must,  it  seems  to  us,  result  to  the  railroad  line  between  those  cities',  should 
their  present  rates  be  kept  up.  Located  as  this  road  is,  throughout  its  whole 
extent,  parallel  to  the  Delaware  river  and  Chesapeake  bay,  nothing,  we 
should  think,  could  prevent  the  competition  of  lines  of  very  fast  steamboats 
in  their  waters,  with  barges  on  the  canal  connecting  them,  or  connecting 
stage  lines,  but  such  reduced  rates  of  fare  and  increased  rates  of  speed  as 
will  set  all  competition  at  defiance,  while  on  the  other  hand,  very  reduced 
lates  of  fare  and  higher  speed  would  not  only  prevent  all  competition  for  the 
present  travel  on  the  route,  but  greatly  increase  it.  We  trust,  for  the  sake 
of  railroads,  that  the  company  will  be  wise  in  time,  and  act  on  the  principle 
of  the  ounce  of  pre^ntion  being  worth  the  pound  of  cure. 

We  cite  these  two  case  as  the  most  striking  that  present  themselves  to  us, 
of  error  on  the  side  of  high  fares.  Connecting,  as  the  roads  in  question  do, 
the  largest  and  most  populous  towns  in  our  country,  and  these  in  free  States, 
where  the  temptation  to  travel  is  widely  increased  with  every  reduction  in 
lates  to  the  laboring  class,  and  with  every  increase  of  speed  to  men  of  busi- 
ness, we  know  of  no  case  in  which  low  rates  and  hieh  speed  whould  pay 
so  well.  There  are,  however,  but  few  railroads  out  of  New  England  on 
which  the  fares  are  not  too  high,  and  the  speed  for  travellers  is  sufficient. 
Our  eastern  neighbors,  so  discerning  in  all  matters  of  interest,  have  also 
found  out  the  secret  of  success  in  railroads  for  travel.  In  the  New  England 
States,  even  between  points  of  but  little  comparative  importance,  the  speed  is 
higher  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  United  States,  and  the  fares  are  gener- 
ally low — from  two  to  two  and  a-half  cents  per  mile.  As  a  consequence, 
we  £nd  on  some  of  the  railroads  radiating  from  Boston,  even  those  to  small 
towns,  (the  Bcslon  and  Worcester  for  example)  a  greater  travel  than  exists 
between  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and  a  much  greater  than  between 
Philadelphia  and  Baltimore.  We  peed  not  add,  that  notwithstanding  their 
great  cost,  and  this  was  in  many  cases  enormous,  the  New  England  rail- 
roads have  proved  in  almost  all  cases  profitable.  If  the  New  Englanders 
were  in  some  cases  wasteful  and  injudicious  in  the  construction  of  their  roads, 
they  have  certainly  given  to  us,  in  the  matter  of  fares,  and  in  other  respects, 
the  most  valuable  lessons  in  their  management 

The  circumstance  of  the  railroad  fares  generally  in  our  country  being  too 
high,  is  perhaps  ascribable  to  the  feet  of  many  of  them  having  been  adjusted 
in  the  years  1835,  1836  and  1837,  and  their  not  being  since  reduced  to  ac- 
commodate them  to  the  enhanced  value  of  the  currency  on  its  presoit  specie 
basis,  or  the  diminished  cost  of  all  the  necessities  and  luxuries  of  life.  Three 
dollars  per  passenger  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and  the  same 
price  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  by  the  old  Camden  and  Amboy 
and  Newcastle  and  Frenchtown  lines,  were  fair  enough  rates  for  the  times 
when  they  were  established,  but  two  dollars  now  would  be  equally  high, 
taking  into  consideration  the  price  of  every  thbg,  as  three  dollars  then.  Ib- 
jtead  of  this,  the  feres  on  the  present  railroad  routes,  are  four  dollars  oo 


Rates  of  Fare  and  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads.  - 

'each  route,  or  twice  as  high,  considering  the  increased  value  of  money,  as 
they  were  originally,  and  twice  as  high  as  it  seems  to  us  they  should  he, 
consistently  with  the  interests  of  the  proprietors  of  the  railroads,  not  to  speak 
of  that  of  the  public. 

Our  opinion  in  a  few  words  is  in  substance  this :  that  between  towns  of 
any  size  and  in  populous  districts,  rates  not  exceeding  two  to  two  and  a  half 
cents  per  mile,  will  be  found  most  advantageous  to  the  companies,  even  in 
protected  lines,  or  those  where  there  can  be  no  competition,  by  the  great  in- 
crease they  occasion  in  the  amount  of  travel.  The  care,  it  will  be  seen,  is 
greatly  strengthened,  where,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Balti- 
more railroad,  the  line  is'  unprotected,  and  nothing  but  a  very  reduced  rate 
can  prevent  competing  lines.  A  grave  error,  however,  would  be  committed, 
were  these  rules  misapplied,  £ind  extended  to  the  case  of  sparsely  settled  dis- 
tricts, in  which  from  peculiar  causes,  the  laboring  classes  cannot  travel.     \j 

Such  is  the  case  in  the  southern  States  of  the  Union.  If  railroads  can 
be  sustained  in  these,  it  can  only  be,  unless  in  a  few  cases,  by  comparatively 
high  fares,  because  the  laboring  classes  being  slaves,  would  in  the  one  hand 
afford  no  aliment  for  railroads,  however  reduced  the  rate ;  and  their  owners, 
whose  engagements  would  be  mainly  on  their  farms  and  plantations,  and 
whose  journeys  are  generally  limited  to  one  or  two  trips  during  the  year,  for 
the  sale  of  their  staples,  would  be  but  little  influenced  in  the  number  of  their 
trips  by  the  rate  of  fare  being  higher  or  lower.  We  use  the  term  compar- 
atively high,  because  we  would  not  be  understood  as  recommending  high 
fares  even  in  the  south.  We  have  little  doubt  that  even  in  the  slave  States, 
the  rates  of  fare  are  generally  higher  than  the  most  judicious  rates  would 
be,  but  they  certainly  could  not,  with  a  due  regard  to  the  interest  of  the  com- 
panies, be  placed  at  as  low  rates  as  would  be  advisable  in  the  northern  and 
eastern  States. 

With  regard  to  speed,  we  hold,  that  the  rates  of  speed  caimot,  within  any 
tolerably  safe  limits,  be  too  high  for  travel,  or  within  any  convenient  limits, 
too  slow  for  freight.  Many  railroads  in  our  country  are  at  this  moment  un- 
productive from  want  of  attention  to  this  simple  truth. 
s!  In  the  transportation  of  freight,  there  will  be  nearly,  or  very  nearly,  equal 
accommodation  to  those  making  use  of  the  road,  whether  the  rate  of  trans- 
portation be  seven  or  fourteen  miles  per  hour,  and  the  same  price  would  pro- 
bably be  commanded  for  the  transportation  of  produce  and  merchandize,  at 
one  as  at  the  other  rate  of  speed.  But  there  would  be  this  great  diflTerence 
to  the  railroad  company,  that  with  an  engine  properly  constructed  for  freights, 
it  could  not  carry  at  a  speed  of  fourteen  miles  per  hour  even  half  the  k)ad 
in  produce  or  merchandize,  that  it  could  at  a  speed  of  seven  miles,  while  the 
wear  and  tear  of  the  engine,  cars,  and  superstructure  of  the  road,  and  risk 
of  accidents  would,  for  a  given  tonnage,  be  increased  at  least  four  fold,  by 
doubling  the  speed.  The  cost  of  transportation,  therefore,  so  far  as  these 
elements  of  it  are  concerned,  would  be  increased  in  much  more  than  a  cor- 
reepondfflg  ratio  with  the  rate  of  speed,  and  would  on  roads  on  which 


-.  t:  -,.iiM'-i:sli 


114  Rates  of  Fare  arid  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads, 

fuel  was  cbeep,  be  probably  three  fold  the  amount  per  ton,  for  a  double 
velocity. 

We  cannot,  in  the  limits  of  this  article,  demonstrate  these  positions  with 
minuteness,  but  professional  gentlemen  will  perceive  at  once  their  correct- 
ness. The  deduction  is,  of  course,  irresistible,  that  on  most  of  the  railroads 
in  our  country,  a  rate  of  speed  for  freight  is  still  practised,  greatly  beyond 
what  is  judicious,  and,  of  course,  if  the  transportation  of  freight  is,  in  such 
cases,  the  source  of  any  profit  now,  the  companies  may  look  to  the  same 
business  as  a  source  of  great  profit,  as  soon  as  their  freight  transportation 
shall  be  conducted  with  engines  properly  constructed,  at  slow  velocities. 

We  say,  with  engines  properly  constructed^  because  the  locomotives  now 
in  general  use  throughout  the  country,  though  susceptible  of  great  improve- 
ment for  the  transportation  of  passengers,  are,  many  of  them,  on  the  worst 
possible  plan  for  freights.  They  have  the  advantage  generally  of  only  half 
their  weight  on  driving  wheels.  They  can.  therefore  carry  at  slow  velocities 
but  half  the  load,  which  with  the  adhesion  of  their  whole  weight  they  would 
be  capable  of  transporting.  In  addition  this  half  is  usually  on  two  instead 
of  four  driving  wheels.  The  engine  is  consequently  twice  as  heavy  on  each 
driver,  and  much  more  than  twice  as  injurious  to  the  road,  even  at  a  slow 
rate  of  speed,  as  a  locomotive  would  be  of  the  same  weight,  (but  double  the 
power,)  equally  distributed  on  eight  wheels,  so  connected  as  to  give  to  the 
engine  the  advantage  of  its  whole  adhesion.  The  engines  of  Winans,  on  the 
Western  (Massachusetts)  railroad  are  on  this  priacipel,  but  imnecessarily 
weighty  and  cumbrous,  in  consequence  of  the  adoption  in  them  of  the  verti- 
cal plan  of  boiler ;  in  our  opinion  particularly  misplaced  in  a  long  engine 
on  eight  wheels,  because  in  such  an  engine  it  occasions  the  necessity  of  great 
strength,  and  unavailable  weight,  {except  for  adhesion)  in  a  cumbrous  frame: 
With  a  horizontal  boiler,  (no  frame  worth  speaking  of  being  required,)  near- 
ly the  whole  weight  of  the  engine  is  in  its  boiler  and  wheek.  A  horizontal 
oigine  of  given  weight  can  of  course  have  a  proportionally  increased  capa- 
city of  generating  steam. 

That  such  engines  as  we  have  described,  or  some  modification  of  them, 
will  ere  long  be  introduced  generally  on  our  railroads  for  the  transportation 
of  freight,  we  cannot  doubt,  and  when  they  are,  and  transportation  shall  be 
efiected  by  them  at  slow  velocities,  the  public  will  be  not  less  astonished  at 
the  greatly  diminished  wear  and  tear  of  both  road  and  machinery  than  at 
the  improved  efficiency  of  the  locomotive.  Such  an  engine  as  we  describe, 
of  from  ten  to  twelve  tons  weight,  and,  of  course,  not  exceeding  one  and  a 
half  tons  on  each  wheel,  would  draw  with  ease,  over  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  railroad,  a  load  of  five  hundred  tons  gross,  or  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  nett,  and  with  obviously  little  more  injury  to  the  road  than 
if  the  cars  were  drawn  by  horses,  for  the  simple  reason  that  the  weight  on 
each  wheel  would  only  be  about  the  weight  on  ordinary  car  wheels. 

But  if  such  great  advantages  are  to  be  anticipated  from  the  introduction  of 
low  velocities,  with  suitable  eoginee  for  the  transportaticxi  of  freight,  wo  must 


'  Rates  of  Fare  and  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads.  115 

look  to  the  development  of  an  opposite  principle  for  the  attainment  of  the 
highest  success  in  roads  for  the  transportation  of  passengers.  In  these,  the 
object  must  be  a  proper  system  of  police  and  the  improvement  of  the  engine 
for  high,  instead  of  low  velocities.  Valuable  as  time  is  in  our  country,  any 
reasonable  increase  of  speed  on  passenger  roads  is  abundantly  justified  by 
the  great  increase  of  travel  induced  by  it.  The  great  intercourse  between 
towns  very  near  each  other,  is  in  a  great  degree  ascribable  to  the  increased 
relations  which  grow  out  of  their  contiguity,  and  the  more  near,  of  course, 
that  distant  points  are  brought  to  each  other  by  railroads  or  by  increasing 
the  speed  on  them,  the  more  they  approximate  to  the  case  of  contiguous 
towns,  and  the  more  their  intercourse  is  increased.  If  the  trip  between 
Philadelphia  and  New  York  was,  for  instance,  made  in  four  hours,  which, 
it  seems  to  us,  it  might  easily  be,  instead  of  six,  we  cannot  doubt  that  the 
trips  of  men  of  business  would  be  twice  as  frequent  as  they  now  are  between 
those  cities,  even  at  the  present  rates  of  fare ;  for  they  could  then  with  ease 
and  comfort  go  from  one  town  to  the  other,  transact  their  business,  and  re- 
turn by  an  early  hour  of  the  evening.  The  same  would  be  the  result  of  a 
higher  speed  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  points  between  which  the 
intercourse  must  be  greatly  checked  by  the  present  very  slow  rates  of  travel 
on  the  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  railroad.  If,  in  addition,  between  these 
populous  towns,  there  was  not  only  a  greater  speed,  but  a  reduction  of  fare, 
the  effect  on  the  travel  would,  of  course,  be  greatly  enhanced.   , 

And  this  increased  speed,  so  valuable  in  the  case  of  passenger  roads,  could 
not  for  a  long  time  be  attended  with  the  same  proportionally  increased  cost, 
w^hich  would  be  requisite  in  freight  trains,  for  this  obvious  reason,  that  on 
most,  if  not  all,  the  railroads  in  our  country,  it  will  be  many  years  before 
full  loads  of  passengers  can  be  had  on  them  for  engines  of  ordinary  power, 
and  in  consequence  the  power  of  the  engine  expended  in  going  at  a  high 
rate  of  speed,  would  be  wasted  at  a  low  speed.  Without  reference,  however, 
to  this  consideration,  it  will  be  at  once  perceived,  that  the  great  increase  of 
travel,  induced  by  higher  rates  of  speed,  while  there  is  no  corresponding  ad- 
vantage in  the  case  of  freights,  is  the  principal  cause  of  the  difference  in  the 
speed  proper  for  freight  and  passenger  roads. 

This  being  the  case,  we  trust  that  the  same  attention  which  is  now  being 
paid  to  the  construction  of  engines  of  slow  velocity  for  freights,  will  be  given 
to  engines  for  the  mail  and  passenger  transportation.  Such  engines  should 
have  driving  wheels  of  a  diameter  materially  greater  than  that  proper  for 
freight  trains.  While  three  feet  at  farthest,  with  our  notions  as  to  slow 
transportation,  should  be,  in  our  opinion,  the  maximum  diameter  of  all  the 
wheels  of  freight  engines,  as  well  as  the  guide  wheels  of  passenger  engines, 
the  diameter  of  the  driving  wheels  of  the  latter,  on  roads  of  great  travel, 
should  not  be  less  than  five  feet.  Of  course,  every  precaution  should  be 
taken  that  such  wheels  are  accurately  set  on  their  axles,  and  the  fiaunches 
of  both  the  drivers  and  front  wheels  of  the  engine  should  be  sufficiently  deep 
(say  1^  or  1}  inches)  to  avoid  any  risk  of  the  locomotive  being  thrown  from 


;  v.- 


.:..i; 


116  «?#'      Notes  on  Practical  Engineering,     ^-t-'^ 

the  track  by  any  obstacle  but  one  resting  on  both  rails,  or  so  elevated  on  one 
rail  as  to  overturn  it  With  these  precautions  and  a  proper  police  in  rela- 
tion to  the  road  and  machinery,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  a  speed  of 
25  miles  per  hour  at  least  may  be  attained  on  most  of  our  roads,  without 
any  increase  of  risk  at  all  correspondent  to  the  greatly  increased  travel  which 
would  result  from  such  speeds. 

As  to  the  item  of  risk,  it  should  be  born  in  mind  that  for  passenger  trans- 
portation, every  precaution  should  be  taken,  and  with  such  precaution,  it 
does  not  appear  to  us,  that  at  the  rate  of  speed  before  mentioned,  there  is  any 
material  risk.  If  the  axles  and  wheels  of  cars  are  of  good  materials  and 
abundantly  heavy,  and  every  part  of  the  engine  properly  proportioned,  and 
leaning  to  the  side  of  unnecessary  strength.  If  no  engine  or  car  is  allowed 
to  leave  the  shops  of  the  company  without  being  closely  inspected,  and  with- 
out the  slightest  repairs  which  may  appear  desirable  being  effected,  there  is 
really  very  little  risk  in  railroad  travelling  from  any  cause,  but  blundering 
management  in  the  arrangement  of  trains,  by  which  a  collision  may  take 
place,  or  from  the  designs  of  malicious  persons,  who  may  place  obstacles  on 
the  track.  The  former  is  so  serious  a  matter,  at  even  the  slowest  rate  of 
speed  which  travellers  would  put  up  with,  that  it  must  be  guarded  against 
by  legislative  provisions,  and  the  strictest  discipline  at  all  hazards.  From 
the  latter,  (obstruction  in  the  track,)  there  is  no  danger  to  passengers,  even 
should  the  locomotive  be  thrown  off,  if  the  baggage  car,  or  cars,  are  put  in 
front  of  the  passenger  cars,  and  the  simple  expedient  of  wooden  couplings 
is  adopted,  to  connect  the  engine  and  tender  with  the  trains. 

The  above  views  will,  we  hope,  satisfy  many  of  our  readers  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  our  proposition,  of  the  propriety  of  high  speed  for  travel  and  low 
speed  for  freight  We  may  perhaps  present  some  further  considerations  on 
the  subject  in  a  future  number,  with  comparisons  between  results  on  routes 
on  which  the  policy  advised  by  us,  or  an  opposite  one  has  been  adopted. 

Vor  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Ma^zine. 

NOTES  ON   PRACTICAL   ENGINEERINa. — No.   6, 

»  Wharves. 

Although  some  may  consider  the  remarks  on  the  present  state  of  bridge 
engineering  not  quite  just,  few  will  deny  that  the  wharves,  even  of  the  great 
cities,  are  wretched  affairs,  whether  we  regard  their  present  state,  or  their 
original  projection,  if,  indeed,  they  ever  had  any.  The  extent  of  the  whjirves 
in  this  country  is  immense,  and  though  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  wood,  there  is 
still  abundant  room  for  the  exercise  of  engineering  skill  in  their  construction, 
as  well  as  in  properly  adapting  them  to  the  materials  and  business  of  their 
locality.  These,  as  well  as  bridges,  enter  largely  into  the  practice  of  the 
engineers  of  Europe  ;  and  the  state  of  the  wharves  in  this  country  is  the 
wonder,  but  not  the  admiration  of  foreigners,  and,  perhaps,  still  more  so  of 
citizens,  who  have  spent  some  time  abroad.  It  will,  of  course,  require  a 
long  time  to  produce  a  general  change,  but  might  not  a  commencement  be 
made  by  strenuous  exertions  on  the  part  of  the  profession  1      4*\  1^  -i    ^'  • ' 


"^^ 


1V^«I  on  PrkeHcal  Engnturhii. 


117 


The  following  account  of  the  construction  of  a  wharf  for  the  northern 
^rminus  of  the  Champlain  and  St  Lawrence  railway,  and  of  the  wharves 
at  Monieal,  may  interest  some  of  the  readers  of  the  Journal.  The  former 
runs  out  one-fourth  of  a  mile  into  the  river,  is  32  feet  wide,  and  ends  in  a  T, 
with  200  feet  front.  A  single  track  is  laid  on  one  side,  the  other  side  being 
required  for  carts  and  passengers.  On  the  face  of  the  T  there  is  a  wide 
platform  for  freight,  and  on  the  upper  side  of  the  wharf  piles  are  driven  at 
a  distance  of  about  8  feet,  and  on  these  and  on  the  edge  of  the  wharf  lum- 
ber is  piled,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  cars  without  interfering  with  the  traffic. 
On  the  approach  of  winter,  the  platform,  turntables,  office,  etc,  are  removed, 
but  the  track  is  left,  being  secured  to  the  timber^  of  the  wharf  Ice  soon 
forms  in  that  climate,  the  river  rises  rapidly  above  the  wharf  which  is  under 
Water  from  the  beginning  of  December  to  the  end  of  April,  when  the  ice 


i**^ 


*»C^ 


118 


Notes  on  Practical  Engtneerin^. 


dams  below  give  way  and  the  water  falls  in  a  few  hours  to  its  ordinary 
level.  The  piles  to  which  the  steamboat  is  moored,  and  which  serve  as 
fenders  also,  are  drawn  by  the  rising  of  the  ice,  they  are  then  cut  out,  taken 
ashore,  and  driven  again  the  following  spring. 

The  transverse  section,  fig.  1,  shows  the  mode  of  construction.  The  sides 
are  formed  of  horizontal  courses  of  white  pine  with  a  batter  of  2  inches  to 
the  foot  rise,  the  ties  are  of  round  tamarack  below  water  and  of  white  cedar 
above,  they  are  10  feet  apart,  8  inches  square  at  the  outer  end  and  let  4  inches 
into  the  superior  and  inferior  courses.  The  face  timbers  are  further  secured 
by  a  piece  of  |  inches  square  iron,  ragged,  3  feet  long  driven  into  a  ^  round 
hole,  each  10  feet  of  each  course.  Ties  break  joints,  not  as  in  brick  work, 
but  by  steps,  as  it  were,  so  as  to  offer  their  entire  surface  to  the  slate  with 
which  the  wharf  is  filled  to  the  dotted  line,  fig.  1.  The  side  or  face  timbers 
are  capped  with  an  oak  plate,  and  on  the  T  they  are  further  steadied  and  se- 
cured by  a  block  and  strap  firmly  bolted  to  the  ties  and  face  timbers  as  seen 

2.  in  fig.  2.      The  face  of  the 

wharf  is  planked.  The  upper 
end  of  the  planks  are  ht  2  in. 
into  the  oak  plate,  as  seen  in 
figs.  1  and  2,  and  their  feet  are 
kept  in  place  by  the  outer  sill, 
which  will  be  readily  under- 
stood by  the  "  plan"  of  the  low- 
eat  course,  fig.  1.  The  inner 
ends  of  the  ties  are  dove-tailed 
into  the  middle  longitudinal 
timbers,  which  are  merely  flatted,  and  of  the  cheapest  kind  of  wood.  The 
comers  of  the  T  are  arranged  as  in  fig.  3,  which  is  a  plan  of  the  upper 

course  with  the  oak  plate  remov- 
ed. The  face  timbers  lap  at 
the  corners,  they  are  rounded 
off  by  a  piece  of  oak,  which 
with  3  or  4  of  the  plank,  also  of 
oak  at  this  point,  are  firmly  held 
in  their  places  by  iron  straps 
bolted  to  the  timbers,  and  also  to 
a  pile  driven  into  each  corner  of 
the  T.  The  foot  of  the  oak  cor- 
ner timber  is  nearly  triangular 
in  section,  and  just  fills  the  space 
between  the  face  timbers  and  the 
outer  sills,  which  are  also  lapped. 
After  eight  years  exposure,  these 
comers  remain  as  at  first     The  wharf  was  commenced  at  the  shore  and 


Notes  on  Practicdt  Engineering.  £H| 

carried  out  1200  feet  ia  one  continuous  mass  of  timbers,  the  T  was  sunk  at 
the  end  of  the  wharf,  and  held  in  its  place  by  piles ;  the  timbers  above 
the  level  of  the  water  are  also  continuous  with  the  upper  timbers  of  the 
wharf 

The  river  front  of  the  city  of  Montreal  is  protected  and  adorned  by  a  su- 
perb quay  of  cut  lime  stone,  about  20  feet  high,  a  mile  in  length  and  with 
numerous  carriage  ways  leading  down  to  the  wharvcsk  These  are  formed 
of  piles  of  white  pine  about  14  inches  square,  driven  at  a  slope  of  about  2 
inches  to  the  foot.  They  are  grooved  on  the  two  edges  so  as  to  receive  an 
oak  tongue  about  3x4,  and  are  secured  at  the  top  by  a  heavy  wale  timber, 
at  the  back  with  blocks,  ties  and  straps  very  nearly  as  in  fig.  2,  the  face  tim- 
bers of  which  occupy  the  place  of  the  piles.  The  corners  arc|  rounded  off 
very  gently,  which  I  think  a  mistake,  as  it  sacrifices  much  room,  and  is  in 
other  respects  inconvenient.  A  heavy  iron  strap  is  carried  along  the  face  at 
low  water.  The  workmanship  is  unexceptionable,  and  the  wharves  might 
serve  as  models  but  for  one  defect,  which  would  have  been  avoided  had  the 
plan  been  submitted  to  any  competent  engineer.  The  distance  between  the 
wale  at  the  top  and  the  bed  of  the  river  must  be  more  than  20  feet,  and  the 
pressure  from  the  filling  in  has  caused  the  piles  to  bulge  out,  and  in  some 
cases  has  actually  forced  an  opening  between  them.  The  wharves  are  under 
water  several  months,  and  when  the  river  falls  rapidly  the  outward  pressure 
from  the  saturated  mass  must  be  immense.  The  effect  of  this  thrust,  though 
it  could  not  escape  the  attention  of  the  engineer,  was  naturally  enough  over- 
looked by  the  commissioners  and  the  respectable  builders  employed  by  them. 
Except  in  very  extreme  cases  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in  guarding  against 
this  thrust,  and  in  many  instances  this  mode  of  constructing  \vharves  will 
be  found  very  advantageous.  A  strong  current  is  no  very  serious  difficulty, 
and  an  uneven  bottom,  or  one  liable  to  wash — to  a  considerable  extent — are  , 
no  objections.  The  timber  is  in  the  best  position  for  durability,  and  the  piles 
may  be  bored  down  to  the  level  of  the  water  and  filled  with  oil,  tar  or  any 
other  preservative.  Had  the  present  steam  pile  drivers  been  in  use  in  June, 
1835,  I  believe  I  should  have  adopted  this  mode  of  construction  for  the  rail- 
way wharf  When  in  Montreal,  in  1842,  1  perceived  that  they  were  build- 
ing a  new  wharf  of  crib  work,  which  was  attended  with  some  difficulty,  on 
account  of  the  slope  of  the  river  bank  producing  a  tendency  in  the  crib  work 
to  slide  into  the  channel.  They  had  even  constructed  a  rude  coffer  dam  to 
aid  their  operations,  and  after  all  it  will  be  inferior  to  a  piled  wharf  where 
the  thrust  is  properly  guarded  against 

The  wharves  of  the  Reading  railway  are  said  to  be  admirably  arranged, 
but  I  am  unable  to  speak  from  observation  of  their  merits  in  this  respect,  or 
of  the  mode  of  construction.  The  wharves  described  above  are  the  best 
specimens  of  crib  work  and  filling  which  I  have  met  with,  though  like  all 
ether  structures  admitting  of  endless  variety  and  improvement 

W.  R  Gfw 
-Jfeto  York,  April,  1844  „.,,,.  _  i' 


'WfB  Indiana  Railroad  Report.      '(i 

We  desire  to  make  our  acknowledgements  to  J.  Williams,  Esq.,  treasarer 
of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  railroad  company,  for  a  copy  of  the  "  Annual 
Reports  of  ihe  Railroad  Corporations,  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts,"  as 
made  to  the  legislature,  giving  a  statement  of  their  operations  for  1843. 
The  reports  of  the  different  companies,  like  the  works  to  which  they  refer, 
are  got  up  in  a  style  commendable  to  those  who  manage  those  companies. 
It  was  our  intention  to  have  given  in  this  number  a  synopsis  of  them,  with 
our  annual  comparative  table,  showing,  at  a  glance,  what  each  has  done  dur- 
ing the  past  year — but  other  avocations  have  prevented,  and  it  is  defered  un- 
til the  next  number. 


INDIANA    RAILROAD    REPORT.  , 

We  find  in  the  Indiana  State  Sentinel  of  March  6th,  the  report  of  tne 
Madison  and  Indianapolis  railroad  company,  which  we  give  at  length,  that 
our  readers  may  know  what  is  going  on  in  the  west.  This  report  shows  a 
very  favorable  and  progressive  state  of  affairs,  and  must  stimulate  those  in- 
terested in  the  work  to  renewed  efforts  for  its  speedy  completion.  We  find 
in  this  report  a 'beautiful  illustration  of  the  advantages  of  long.,  over  shorty 
railroads.  The  rapid  increase  of  receipts  per  week,  when  a  new  section  of 
the  road  was  opened  for  use,  even  though  but  a  few  miles  in  length,  shows 
conclusively  that  eis  our  railroad  system  is  extended,  and  different  roads  are 
connected  with  each  other,  the  business  will  increase  almost  in  a  geometrical 
ratio,  and  that  roads  which  now  scarcely  pay  expenses,  will  become  profit- 
able works,  and  good  investments.  We  shall  be  gratified  to  record  the  com- 
pletion of  this  road  to  Indianapolis,  and  then  its  continuance  to  Lafayette  and 
lake  Michigan.  Accompanying  the  report  is  a  statement  showing  the  de- 
tails of  the  freight  transportation  during  the  year. 

To  the  directors  of  the  Madison  and  Indianapolis  railroad  company  : 

One  year  having  elapsed  since  the  company  took  possession  of  the  State's 
portion  of  the  road,  and  since  I  have  had  the  superintendance  of  all  the  af- 
&ir8  of  the  company,  I  deem  it  necessary  and  appropriate  to  lay  before  the* 
board  of  directors  as  full  a  statement  of  the  operations  of  the  road,  both  as  to- 
transportation  and  construction,  as  circumstances  will  enable  me  and  a  pro- 
per understanding  of  the  affairs  and  finances  of  the  company  may  seem  to 
require. 

At  the  time  the  company  took  possession  of  the  State's  portion  of  the  road 
and  the  consequent  charge  of  the  operations  in  transportation,  the  cars  were 
running  a  distance  of  28  miles,  to  Griffith's.  Owing  to  the  severe  weather 
which  continued  to  a  late  period  in  the  spring  of  1843,  the  road  was  not  com- 
pleted to  Scipio  until  the  1st  of  June,  at  which  time  the  cars  commenced  run- 
ning to  that  point,  being  an  extension  of  only  three  miles  ;  at  this  point  the 
northern  terminus  of  the  road  continued  until  the  1st -of  September,  a  period 
of  three  months.  On  the  1st  of  September  we  extended  the  running  of  the 
cars  to  Elizabethtown,  a  distance  of  seven  miles  from  Scipio,  and  ten  miles 
from  Griffith's,  On  the  1st  of  February  we  commenced  running  the  cars 
to  Clifty,  being  a  further  extension  of  4^  miles,  and  to  a  point  about  2  J  miles 
south  of  Columbus,  making  an  entire  extension  of  the  road  complete,  14^ 
miles  north  of  Griffith's. 

The  further  completion  of  the  superstructure  to  Columbus  is  in  progress, 


Indiana  Railroad  Repor^  131 

being  so  near  completion  as  to  secure  the  expectation  that  we  may  ran  the 
cars  to  that  point  in  the  course  of  the  next  two  months. 

Under  authority  of  an  order  of  the  board,  I  contracted  in  August  last  with 
Mr.  John  McNickle,  of  Covington,  (Ky.)  for  180  tons  of  railroad  iron,  be- 
ing a  quantity,  estimated  sufficient  to  iron  the  road  to  Columbus.  Of  this 
iron,  110  tons  have  been  delivered  and  mostly  laid  down.  The  balance,  ac- 
cording to  contract,  is  to  be  in  readiness  by  the  time  the  superstructure  is  pre- 
pared for  it.  For  this  iron,  acceptances  have  been  given  for  the  first  fifty 
tons,  at  4  months — for  the  next  fifty  tons  6  months,  and  for  the  remaining 
portion  at  5  months  from  the  periods  of  delivery  respectively.  The  accep- 
tances have  been  made  by  drafts  drawn  by  me,  as  treasurer  of  the  company, 
on,  and  accepted  and  endorsed  by  gentlemen  friendly  to  the  road,  who  have 
lent  their  names  to  the  company  to  aid  in  procuring  the  iron. 

The  progress  of  the  contractors  for  building  the  superstructure  between 
Columbus  and  Edinburg  has  been  tardy,  but  not  more  so  than  could  reason- 
ably be  expected.  Considerable  progress  has,  however,  been  made,  and  if 
some  additional  aid  could  be  rendered  1)y  substituting  more  available  means, 
we  might  hope  to  have  the  superstructure  complete  to  Edinburg  in  the  course 
of  the  next  autumn. 

The  survey  and  estimate  of  that  portion  of  Jhe^ifie^f  the  road  between 
Edinburg  and  Indianapolis,  whichJwas' completed  last'summer,  shows  that 
the  grading  and  bridging  efthis  part  of  the  road  will  cost  much  less  in  pro- 
portion to  distaaecf  than  that  portion  south  of  Edinburg.  The  whole  esti- 
mate for  grading  and  bridging  the  30  miles  being  only  $96,500.  The  ope- 
rations in  the  repairs  of  the  road  in  use  have  been  steadily  in  progress,  but 
have  been  limited  and  confined  to  such  repairs  and  improvements  as  seemed 
indispensable  to  the  preservation  of  the  embankments  and  superstructures, 
and  such  other  work  as  was  necessary  to  the  successful  operations  on  the 
load  and  the  safe  running  of  the  cars^"-''' 

This  limitation  was  in  a  measure  imperative  from  the  necessity  of  meet* 
ing  the  company's  obligations  on  paper  given  for  iron,  and  on  which  various 
persons  had  kindly  lent  their  names  as  security,  and  which  every  honorable 
consideration  to  tl^ia,^d  preservation  of  the  credit  of  the  company  required 
should  be  promptly  met  Had  abundant  means  been  at  command,  a  more 
extended  operation  in  repairs  might  with  propriety  have  been  gone  into ;  but 
none  has  been  neglected  which  a  proper  regard  for  the  preservation  of  the 
road  required.  Much  more  has  been  done  in  this  regard  than  had  been  per- 
formed the  previous  year  while  under  the  care  of  the  State,  and  the  condi- 
tion of  the  road  is  as  safe  and  favorable  for  the  running  of  the  cars  and  the 
general  operations  of  its  business  as  when  the  company  took  possession  of  it ; 
ud  the  preservation  of  the  superstructure  is  much  better  secured,  in  that 
pK)rtion  at  least,  which  relates  to  the  bridges. 

A  permanent  depot  has  been  completed  at  Madison,  at  a  cost  of  nearly 
$1,200.  Others  of  a  cheap  character  have  been  provided  by  the  lessors  at 
Scipio  and  Elizabethtown,  and  a  tempor^y  one  at  Clifty,  at  the  expense  of 
the  company  ;  all  of  which  have  begif  necessary  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  business  of  the  road.  The  ^mpts  from  transportation  and  passengers 
have  been  favorable  and  have/ihet  my  anticipations  suggested  to  the  board 
on  a  former  occasion,  although  our  charges  on  many  articles  of  freight  are 
^too  low.  The  receipts  cp4ld  not  be  expected  to  increase  much  while  the 
road  was  unextended,  and,  indeed,  as  our  charges  were  25  per  cent,  below 
those  charged  by  the  State,  it  should  not  have  surprised  us  if  there  had  been 
a  falling  off  in  the  receipts  for  the  three  months,  and  over,  that  we  remained 
at  Griffith's,  but  there  has  been  a  gradual  increase  in  the  business  and  re- 


/ 


|S|S  Indiana  Railroad  Report 

ceipts  of  the  road ;  increasing  greatly  as  it  has  been  extended  ;  the  weekly 
receipts  running  up  from  $240  to  near  $1000,  and  the  business  accumulating 
beyond  the  means  of  our  motive  power  to  perform.  The  receipts  for  trans- 
portation and  passengers  for  the  3^  months  that  our  northern  terminus 
remained  at  Griffith's,  averaged  $270  per  week,  and  for  the  next  three  , 
months  while  we  were  at  Scipio,  (an  extension  of  three  miles  only)  the  week- 
ly receipts  averaged  $400,  and  for  the  succeeding  5  months,  our  northern 
terminus  being  at  Elizabethtown,  (a  further  extension  of  seven  miles,)  the 
weekly  average  receipts  were  $560,  and  since  we  have  extended  the  running  : 
of  the  cars  to  Clifty,  a  further  distance  of  4^  miles,  we  find  that  additional 
engines  and  cars  are  required  to  do  the  work,  and  our  receipts  running  from 
800  to  over  1000  dollars  per  week. 

This  fully  illustrates  the  certainty  of  greatly  increased  business  as  we  ex- 
tend the  road  into  the  interior.  The  ratio  of  increase  in  business  will  be 
equal  to  the  square  of  the  distance  of  each  extension.  These  facts  and  con- 
siderations should,  it  seems  to  me,  encourage  the  friends  of  the  road  and  all 
interested,  (and  all  on  the  line  or  within  available  distance  of  it,  and  all  in- 
terior Indiana,  are  deeply  interested.)  to  persevere  in  efforts  to  carry  it  through. 

The  total  amount  of  receipts,  exclusive  of  railroad  scrip,  from  the  20th 
February,  1843,  to  the  3d  February,  1844,  have  been  $24,385  17  of  which 
the  sum  of  $22,110  33  were  receipts  from  transportation. 

The  remainder  were  receipts  on  stock  subscriptions  and  miscellaneous. 
The  receipts  for  the  unexpired  portion  of  the  year  since  the  company  took 
possession  of  the  road  will  probably  swell  the  receipts  from  transportation 
to  $24,250. 

At  the  period  of  our  taking  charge  of  the  road,  I  signified  my  belief  that 
the  receipts  from  transportation  would,  with  the  other  funds  then  on  hand  in 
State  scrip,  be  sufficient  to  meet  the  demands  against  the  company  on  the 
first  iron  contract,  within  one  year  from  that  date.  This  expectation  has 
been  fully  realized,  but  the  diversion  given  by  the  board  to  a  portion  of  the 
receipts  together  with  the  necessity  of  paying  for  spikes,  iron,  freights,  etc., 
has  left  a  small  portion  of  that  debt  yet  unpaid ;  say  about  $1500,  but  a  por- 
tion of  this  will  still  be  discharged  out  of  the  receipts  accrued  within  the 
year.  There  has  been  paid  out  of  this  fund  set  apart  to  meet  this  iron  con- 
tract an  amount  larger  than  the  unpaid  residue  of  the  iron  debt.  The  con- 
tract with  Col.  McNickle  for  180  tons  of  iron  for  extending  the  road  to  Co- 
lumbus, will,  including  iron  for  spikes,  call  for  the  payment  of  about  $11,000 
to  be  paid  on  acceptances  as  suggested  in  a  former  part  of  this  report,  the 
means  for  which,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  be  realized  in  the  receipts  for  trans- 
portation in  time  for  the  maturity  of  the  paper. 

The  required  amount  anticipated  for  the  current  expenditures  for  road  re- 
pairs, cars,  etc.,  will  doubtless  exceed,  by  a  considerable  sum,  the  outlays  for 
the  same  purposes  for  the  past  year,  but  the  greatly  increasing  business  and 
consequent  receipts  from  the  road,  it  is  presumed  will  cover  such  additional 
expenditure,  except  the  purchase  of  an  additional  locomotive  engine,  which 
I  deem  indispensable,  and  respectfully  recommend  the  board  to  authorize  to 
be  procured  if  means  can  be  devised  for  its  purchase. 

I  have,  in  pursuance  of  the  order  of  the  board,  contracted  with  Messrs. 
W.  N.  Jackson  and  John  D.  Morris  for  the  building'of  a  suitable  depot  at 
Columbus ;  a  duplicate  of  the  article  of  agreement  is  on  file  in  the  office, 
and  will  be  submitted  to  the  board. 

The  main  portion  of  the  deed.s  given  the  company  for  lands  subscribed, 
have  been  sent  to  the  proper  counties  and  recorded ;  an  accoimt  of  the  ex-  .. 
penso  of  which  will  be  submitted  to  the  board. 


■I.J.'...  L.ijL^  .i.''-:-  :'■-  _    ...Ji-j'U-- .•»-._.;.-  ;'2'' 


Indiana  Railroad  Report.       -  123 

I  deem  it  due  to  the  several  officers  in  the  service  of  the  company,  as  well 
as  the  hands  empJoyed  in  the  various  departments,  to  testify  to  the  industry 
and  fidelity  of  each  and  all,  and  that  during  the  great  press  of  business  for 
the  last  few  months  they  have  been  subject  to  severe  labor  and  exposure 
which  they  have  gone  through  with  cheerfulness  and  alacrity. 

The  greatly  increased  business  of  the  road  will  require,  without  delay, 
some  more  efficient  means  of  transportation  over  the  plain  at  the  Madison 
hill.  The  tardy  and  expensive  mode  now  employed,  together  with  the  still 
more  injurious  results  of  delay,  unavoidable  in  the  present  mode,  render  a 
change  in  this  respect  extremely  desirable  if  not  indispensable.  The  em- 
ployment of  a  locomotive  engine  adequate  to  the  business  of  the  road,  would 
save,  in  money  and  time,  which  is  precious,  an  amount  equal  to  its  cost  in  a 
short  time,  besides  other  important  advantages  that  would  result  from  its 
adoption.  The  condition  of  the  slip  at  the  plain  is  not  at  this  time  safe  for 
the  use  of  such  an  engine,  but  this,  however,  could  be  placed  in  a  suitable 
condition  by  the  time  the  engine  can  be  procured.  The  amount  of  debt  con- 
tracted by  the  last  purchase  of  iron  will  require  the  nett  income  of  the  road 
for  the  main  portion  of  the  year  to  discharge  it,  and  of  course  no  considera- 
ble amount  can  with  propriety  be  calculated  upon  from  that  source  for  the 
purchase  of  an  engine.  But  if  the  nett  proceeds  of  the  road  for  a  period  be- 
yond the  payment  of  the  present  iron  debt,  can  by  any  mean^be  anticipated, 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  engine  should  be  ordered  forth witlj. 

The  remarkable  weather  which  has  visited  us  for  nearly  the  whole  time 
since  the  company  has  been  running  the  cars,  has  been  alike  unfavorable  to 
road  repairs  and  to  the  business  of  the  road,  while  its  effects  upon  the  em- 
bankments, cuts  and  foundations  have  been  such  as  sh^d  be  expected  from, 
the  constantly  wet  condition  of  the  earth. 

This  has  been  equally  un&.vorable  to  the  running  of  the  trains ;  the  track 
being,  much  of  the  time,  so  slippery  that  the  engines  could  not  take  over  the 
road  more  than  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  the  tonnage  that  can  be  taken  in 
favorable  weather.  Yet  with  all  these  difficulties  an  amount  of  businees 
has  been  done  (as  will  be  seen  by  th^  tabular  statements)  far  beyond  any 
previous  year,  and  repairs  have  been  made  also  to  a  larger  amount 

With  obstacles  thus  difficult  and  opposing,  and  with  a  tariff  of  charges, 
on  an  average  at  least  25  per  cent,  below  that  charged  by  the  State,  the  re- 
ceipts from  transportation  for  the  year  ensuing  the  time  of  our  talung  pos- 
session of  the  road  will  have  amounted  to  rising  $24,000,  not  in  outstanding 
and  imavailable  debts,  but  in  actual  cash  receipts.  The  nett  proceeds  of  the 
road,  after  deducting  the  rent  to  the  State,  will  not  vary  much  from  10  per 
cent,  on  the  capital  stock  of  the  company  paid  in ;  which  amount  will  be 
subject  to  division  among  the  stock,  to  be  carried  to  the  credit  of  the  stock- 
holders as  so  much  additional  stock,  agreeable  to  the  consent  in  writing  of 
most  of  the  stockholders  on  file  in  the  office,  or  to  remain  as  a  surplus  to  be 
hereafter  divided 

But  if  the  board  should  deem  it  advisable  to  declare  a  dividend,  I  would 
recommend  that  it  should  not  exceed  8  per  cent.,  leaving  an  overplus  for  fu- 
ture disposition. 

Statements  will  be  exhibited  to  the  board  for  its  information,  showing  the 
general  state  of  our  finances,  and  the  amount  of  receipts  and  disbursements 
\mder  each  appropriate  head,  together  with  tables  showing  the  state  of  my 
account  with  the  company  as  its  treasurer,  to  which  I  invite  a  searching 
scrutiny  by  the  board. 

Believing  the  taking  proper  care  of  money  when  earned,  as  important  as 
to  earn  much,  I  have  carefully  watched  the  operation  of  our  system  of  ac- 


124 


Indiana  Railroad  Report. 


countability,  and  checks,  and  balances,  and  have  examined  the  waybilis  and 
collated  and  compared  the  results  with  the  weekly  statements  of  the  clerks 
of  transportation  and  conductor,  upon  which  these  payments  are  made  to 
the  treasurer,  and  find  that  the  system,  though  not  pe/fect,  is,  if  fully  carried 
out,  sufficiently  guarded  for  the  protection  of  our  funds,  and  which  is  further 
secured  by  honest  and  faithful  officers,  having  charge  of  th^  departments  of 
transportation. 

This  being  the  first  year  of  the  company's  operation  in  transportation  and 
control  of  the  road,  much  interest  has  been  manifested  by  the  stockholders 
and  the  public  as  to  its  management  and  probable  results  which  would  flow 
from  an  extension  of  the  road,  both  as  to  its  own  revenue  and  utility  to  the 
public.  The  practical  illustrations  which  have  resulted  from  this  one  year's 
experiment,  in  our  system  of  management,  accountability  and  economy,  to- 
gether with  the  certain  favorable  eflfects  of  the  extension  of  the  road  on  its 
business  and  revenue,  should  be  highly  gratifying  and  encouraging  to  all 
the  friends  of  the  road ;  and  although  this  great  undertaking  (so  far  as  the 
company  is  concerned,)  is  in  its  infancy,  yet  we  have  good  reason  to  hope 
that  the  ultimate  results  will  be  alike  propitious  in  profit  to  the  shareholders 
and  general  utility  to  the  community. 

In  the  management  of  a  business  so  large  as  is  now  commanded  by  this 
Toad,  and  where  every  interest,  so  far  as  regards  the  details  of  its  manage- 
ment, is  antagonistical  to  the  interest  of  the  company — added  to  the  fact  that 
some  delight  in,  and  are  incessant  in  manufacturing  clamor,  it  could  not  but 
be  expected  that  complaints  would  be  made ;  but  so  far  as  these  several  con- 
flicting interests  have  depended  upon  my  action,  I  have  carefully  consulted 
my  best  judgment,  'and  when  convinced  of  the  right  and  proper  course,  I 
have  carried  it  out,  as  I  hope,  with  firmness  and  moderation,  and  hold  my- 
self responsible  to  the  board  and  to  the  stockholders  for  my  action  as  their 
agent  and  representative.         All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

Madison,  Feb.  22,  1844.  N.  B.  Palmer,  President. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  amount  and  quantity  of  the  several  ar- 
ticles of  freight  (inward  bound)  or  going  south,  which  passed  over  the  rail- 
road from  the  20th  of  February,  1843,  to  the  3d  of  February,  1844.  A 
statement  of  the  outward  bound  freights,  together  with  other  interesting  tables, 
will  be  shortly  published,  but  which  are  not  at  this  time  in  perfect  readine 


through  passengers, 
way  " 

hhds. 


2,340 
2,»74 

402  hhds.  bacon, 

243,763  bacon  and  bulk  pork, 
15,038^  bushels  wheat, 

5,570  bbls.  flour, 

260,918  lbs.  miscellaneous  freight, 
1,382^  bushels  flaxseed, 

1,956  kegs  lard, 

1,157  bbls.  lard, 

1,981  bbls.  pork,      ».--  '   -r.^v 

1,153  cords  wood,  -\. 

210,692  pounds  hay,  ''   "'• 

17,376  live  hogs,  ^' ^^■ 

483  slaughtered  hogs, 

1 1  bushels  com, 

43,838  pounds  hemp, 

254,306  pounds  tobacco. 

158  bushels  meal. 


1,328   flour  barrels, 
31  i  bushels  barley, 
87^  bushels  grass  seed, 
20,324    hoop  poles, 
489    bushels  potatoes, 
head  cattle, 
head  horses, 
bbls.  whiskey, 
pork  barrels. 


{)ounds  furniture, 
a 


18 

281 

256 

2,211 

23,277 

868    lard  kegs, 
325,286    feet  poplar  lumber, 
4,535    feet  ash  and  cherry  do., 
92   car  loads  staves, 
11    perch  stone, 
89^  thousands  shingles, 
365    bacon  hhds., 

18    carriages, 
757   bushels  oats. 


:r\- 


'i:. 


Lord  Rosses  TtUscopt,^^  ^  196 

The  following  description  of  preparing  the  speculum  for  a  large  telescope 
will  be  found  interesting  to  many  of  our  readers.  It  is  taken  from  the  Feb- 
ruary number  of  "  The  Civil  Engineer  and  Architect's  Journal."  ^  ^^. 

LORD  BOSSE's  telescope.  "^  ' 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Belfast  Natural  History  Society,  the  steps  by  which    - 
difficulties  were  overcome  in  making  the  speculum,  were  explained  by  Mr. 
Stevelly  in  detail,  under  the  following  heads : 

Metal  for  the  Speculum. — The  metallic  alloy  for  the  speculum  con- 
sists of  four  atoms  or  chemical  combining  proportionals  of  copper  to  one  of 
tin,  or  by  weight  1264  copper  to  689  tin.  This  alloy,  which  is  a  true 
chemical  compound,  is  of  a  brilliant  white  lustre,  has  a  specific  gravity  of 
S-Sll ;  a  twelfth  of  a  cubic  foot,  or  144  cubic  inches  of  it,  weighing,  there- 
fore, a  little  over  45|  lbs.  avoirdupoise,  or  to  allow  for  all  waste  when  casting,  . 
60  lbs.  which  is  the  rule  by  which  Lord  Rosse  estimates  the  weight  of  metal  . 
he  requires.  This  alloy  is  nearly  as  hard  as  steel,  and  yet  is  almost  as  brit- 
tle as  sealing  wax.  Of  this  most  unpromising  material  Lord  Rosse  has  cast, 
ground,  and  has  ready  for  polishing,  a  circular  mass,  6  feet  in  diameter,  SJ 
mches  thick,  and  weighing  upwards  of  three  tons,  with  a  surface  perfectly 
free  from  crack  or  flaw,  and  quite  homogeneous.     The  next  head  is 

Casting. — On  the  first  castings  having  flown  into  pieces,  finding  that  the 
fragments  no  longer  fitted  each  other  in  their  former  places,  he  perceived  • 
that  they  had  been  in  a  state  of  violent  strain  arising  from  the  cooling  and  - 
setting  of  the  outer  parts,  while  the  inner  parts,  yet  fluid,  were  also  largely 
expanded  by  the  heat ;  this,  and  the  porous  surfece,  led  him  by  many  stages 
and  trials  to  the  remedy,  which  is  simple  and  complete.     The  bottom  of  the 
mould  is  made  of  a  ring  of  bar  iron,  packed  full  of  slips  of  iron  hoops  set  on 
their  edges,  which  lie  in  parallel  cords  of  the  ring.     These,  though  packed  ■ 
very  tightly  together,  and  so  closely  fitting  that  the  melted  metal  cannot  run 
between  them,  yet  allow  any  air  that  is  carried  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
mould  when  the  metal  is  cast  in,  to  pass  out  through  the  interstices.     After  ; 
the  ring  is  packed,  it  is  secured  in  a  lathe,  and  the  face,  which  is  to  be  the  f- 
bottom  of  the  mould,  turned  true  to  the  convex  shape  to  fit  the  concave  spec-  *■ 
ulum  required.     It  is  then  placed  flat  on  the  ground  by  spirit  levels  (between  *' 
the  surface  in  which  the  metal  is  melted,  and  the  annealing  oven,)  and  the 
mould  completed  at  the  side  with  sand,  in  the  way  practised  by  founders,  but 
left  open  at  the  top.    The  metal  is  then  melted  in  cast  iron  crucibles ;  wrought  -, 
iron  would  be  corroded  by  the  speculum  metal,  and  injure  its  properties,  while    • 
fire  clay  crucibles  will  not  answer.     Unless  the  crucibles  be  cast  with  their  * 
bottoms  downward,  they  will  be  porous,  and  the  metal  alloy  will  run  through  * 
their  fine  pores.     When  the  metal  is  melted,  and  still  much  too  hot  to  pour,  ^ 
the  crucibles  are  brought  by  a  crane,  and  set  firmly,  each  in  a  strong  hoop 
iroii  cradle,  which  turns  on  gudgeons,  and  so  arranged  round  the  mould 
that  when  the  handles  of  the  cradles  are  depressed,  they  pour  out  their  mol- 
ten mass  direct  into  the  mould.     An  oxide  forms  rapidly  on  the  surface  of  ^- 
the  metal  while  too  hot — this  is  as  rapidly  reduced  back  to  the  metallic  state  ' 
bv  constantly  stirring  it  with  a  pine  rod ;  as  the  temperature  sinks,  the  in-  ■ 
stimt  this  reduction  of  the  oxide  begins  to  cease,  is  seized  on  as  the  proper  ; 
moment  for  pouring.     The  liquid  mass  descends  with  a  few  fiery  splashes, 
and  after  waving  back  and  forward  for  a  few  seconds,  the  surface  becomes  • 
stilL     The  setting  process  begins  at  the  hoop  iron  bottom,  where  a  thin  film  * 
first  sets — ^the  process  extends  upwards  in  horizontal  layers,  and  at  length  « 
the  top,  thou'gh  red,  becomes  fixed  in  form ;  the  mass  is  then  as  tough  as 


1S5  Liord  Rosses  Telescope. 


1. 


■"TJ.i 


melting  glass,  and  being  turned  out  of  the  mould  upon  a  proper  trucV,  With 
the  fac©  upwards,  is  drawn  into  the  oven  to  undergo  the  process  of 

Annealing — or  very  slow  cooling.  Here  it  is  built  up  into  the  oven, 
previously  heated  red  hot,  and  fire  is  kept  up  under  the  floor  of  the  oven  for 
some  days ;  the  under  fire  places  are  then  stopped,  and  all  left  for  weeks  to 
cool  down  to  the  temperature  of  the  air.  The  six  feet  speculum  vras  left 
here  sixteen  weeks.  Here  the  particles  of  the  alloy  slowly  arrange  them- 
selves into  the  arrangement  in  which  the  aggregating  forces  are  in  equili- 
brium, or  natural  and  equal  antagonist  tension.  When  the  oven  is  opened, 
the  speculum  is  removed  to  the  workshop,  to  undergo  the  process  of 

Grinding — which  process  was  illustrated  by  working  a  model.     In  the 
workshop  it  is  placed  on  a  circular  table,  in  a  cistern  filled  with  water,  of 
temperature,  say  55^^  Fahrenheit,  with  the  face  to  be  ground  upwards.     The 
circular  table  is  turned  round  by  the  motion  of  the  grinding  engine.     But 
first,  the  edge  is  made  truJy  cylindrical  by  being  surrounded  by  many  pieces 
of  deal  board  set  in  an  iron  ring  pressing  against  the  edge ;  emery  being  in- 
troduced as  it  turns  round,  soon  grinds  it  cylindrical  j  it  is  then  placed  in  the 
box  in  which  it  is  to  be  used ;  here  it  is  firmly  secured  by  a  ring  of  iron 
brought  to  embrace,  firmly  yet  gently,  its  now  truly  cylindrical  edge.     The 
box  and  speculum,  with  the  face  to  be  ground  placed  upwards,  is  now  again 
placed  on  the  circular  table  in  the  cistern  of  water.     Emery  and  water  be- 
ing placed  upon  it,  the  grinding  disk  is  laid  on,  which  is  a  cast  iron  plate 
turned  at   one  surface  to  the  shape  to  fit  the  speculum  when  ground,  and 
grooved  on  that  surface  with  many  annular  grooves  concentric  with  the  plate, 
and  with  many  straight  grooves  running  across  at  right  angles  to  each  other. 
The  back  of  this  grinding  plate  is  ribbed  with  six  or  eight  radial  ribs,  to 
give  it  stiffness.     This  plate  sits  rater  loosely  in  a  ring  of  iron  a  little  larger  . 
in  diameter,  which  is  driven  back  and  forward  by  the  motion  of  the  steam- 
engine.     This  ring  has  two  motions,  longitudinal  and  transverse.     The  en- 
gine causes  it  to  make  24^  strokes  for  one  turn  of  the  speculum  on  its  axis 
under  the  grinding  disk,  about  80  strokes  taking  place  in  a  minute ;  the 
length  of  this  stroke  is  one-third  of  the  diameter  of  the  speculum.     The 
motion  is  produced  by  an  eccentric  pin.     The  transverse  stroke  takes  place 
172  times  for  each  turn  of  the  speculum,  and  its  extent  is.  at  the  centre  of 
the  speculum,  -^^  of  the  diameter  of  the  speculum ;  it  is  produced  by  an 
eccentric  fork.     A  fourth  motion  takes  place  by  the  grinding  disk,  while  for 
an  instant  free  of  the  ring,  at  the  turn  of  the  eccentrics,  being  carried  round 
a  little  by  the  speculum,  on  which  it  is  then  lying  as  it  were  free ;  this  causes 
it  to  turn  once  for  about  15  turns  of  the  speculum.     Emery  and  water  being 
constantly  supplied,  the  surfaces  of  the  grinding  disk  and  speculum  in  a  few 
hours  grind  each  other  truly  spherical,  whatever  be  their  original  defects  of 
form.     The  process  is  finished,  when,  upon  drawing  off  the  grinding  disk 
with  one  steady  long  pull,  the  surface  of  the  speculum  is  left  every  where 
uniformly  covered  with  the  fine  emery  arranged  in  uniform  lines,  parallel  to 
the  hne  in  which  the  disk  was  drawn  off.     A  slight  polish  being  now  given 
to  the  speculum,  its  focal  length  is  tested  by  a  very  simple  process.     The 
floors  of  the  loft  above  the  workshop,  in  the  tower  of  the  castle,  contain  trap 
;  doors,  which  are  now  opened,  and  a  mast  erected  on  the  top  of  the  tower, 
which  carries  at  its  top  a  short  cross  arm,  to  the  under  surfare  of  which  a 
watch  dial  is  fastened,  the  face  of  the  dial  looking  down  on  the  speculum, 
.  now  directly  under  it,  and  at  a  distance  of  97  feet.     A  temporary  eye  piece 
erected  in  the  upper  floor  of  the  tower,  soon  finds  the  place  of  the  faint  and 
still  imperfect  image  of  the  watch  dial,  the  proper  place  of  which  is  a  mat- 
ter of  simple  calculation,  if  the  speculum  be  ground  to  the  expected  foctis. 


•  •  .  .V  "j-*'i   'i    -ti,  •-  -.>>.  -1  s'.' 


An  Enormous  Steam  Engind.     '"  X^s'.-       W' 

If  it  be  found  incorrect,  the  grinding  disk  is  rendered  a  little  more  flat,  or  a 
little  more  convex,  and  the  grinding  process  is  renewed,  and  so  on,  until  the 
spherical  face  of  the  speculum  is  given  its  proper  length  of  radius.  When 
this  is  accomplished,  tne  brilliant  reflecting  surface,  and  true  form  for  pro- 
ducing a  good  image,  is  given  to  the  speculum  by  the  final  process  of 

Polishing. — In  this,  two  matters  require  attention,  the  polishing  powder 
and  the  surface  of  the  polisher.  The  powder  used  by  Lord  Rosse  is  not 
putty  or  oxide  of  tin,  as  used  by  Newton  and  his  followers,  but  red  oxide  of 
iron  procured  by  precipitation  from  green  vitriol  or  sulphate  of  iron  by  water 
of  ammonia ;  this  is  to  be  heated  carefully  in  an  iron  crucible,  for  it  has  a 
tendency  to  take  fire,  and  thus  run  many  particles  into  one,  and  render  the 
polishing  powder  too  coarse.  The  surface  of  the  polisher  used  by  Newton 
was  pitch  in  a  very  thin  layer.  Instead  of  pitch,  which  Lord  Rosse  found 
too  full  of  gritty  impurities,  he  uses  resin  tempered  with  spirit  of  turpentine, 
A  large  quantity  of  resin  being  melted,  the  spirit  of  turpentine  is  poured  in, 
and  well  mixed  and  incorporated  (about  a  fifth  by  weight  suffices.)  The 
proper  temper  is  known  by  taking  up  a  little  on  an  iron  rod,  and  putting  it 
mto  the  water  until  it  acquires  the  temperature,  say  of  55°  Fahrenheit 
Then  if  the  thumb  nail  make  a  slight  but  decided  impression,  it  is  rightly 
tempered ;  if  not,  more  resin  or  more  spirit  of  turpentine  is  added,  until  the 
proper  temper  is  attained.  The  tempered  resin  is  now  divided  into  two  par- 
cels ;  to  the  one  parcel  a  fourth  part  (by  weight)  of  wheaten  flour  is  added 
to  give  it  tenacity  and  diminish  its  adhesiveness.  This  is  incorporated  by 
stirring  until  it  becomes  clear.  To  the  other  parcel  an  equal  weight  of  resin 
ia  addal,  which  makes  it  very  hard.  Upon  this,  when  cooled  to  55°,  the 
nail  will  scarcely  make  an  impression.  The  grinding  disk,  with  its  spheri- 
cal surface  turned  upwards,  is  now  heated  by  fire  underneath,  and  the  resin 
rendered  tenacious  by  flour  laid  on  with  a  brush  in  a  thin  even  coat  about 
150°  Fahrenheit.  This  coat  and  the  grinding  disk  are  then  allowed  to  cool 
down  to  about  100<^  Fahrenheit,  when  a  thin  coat  of  hard  tempered  resin  is 
laid  on  as  evenly  and  thin  as  possible.  The  smooth  ground  concave  specu- 
lum is  now  covered  with  a  creamy  coat  of  the  fine  polishing  powder  and 
water,  and  the  warm  polishing  surface  turned  down  upon  it  at  about  80^ 
Fahrenheit,  when  it  soon  takes  the  form  of  the  speculum  as  in  a  mould ; 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  put  on  the  polishing  plate  too  hot  for  fear  of  crack- 
ing the  speculum,  which  the  interposed  creamy  polishing  powder  helps  to 
protect ;  nor  too  cold,  else  it  will  not  take  the  proper  figure.  'The  grinding 
engine  now  gives  the  same  motions  to  the  polishing  plate  as  before,  but  its 
weight  is  much  diminished  by  counterpoising  it  The  soft  tenacious  coat 
below,  and  the  grooves  on  the  surface  of  the  grinding  disk,  permit  the  pro- 
per lateral  expansion,  while  the  hard  outer  coating  retains  its  form,  and  holds 
firmly  embedded  the  particles  of  polishing  powder.  The  pohshing  now 
proceeds  rapidly,  and  as  soon  as  what  is  technically  called  the  black  polish 
is  attained,  the  defining  power  is  judged  of  by  examining  the  minute  divis- 
ions of  the  image  of  the  watch  dial  under  an  eye  piece  of  high  power.  The 
true  form  is  known  to  be  given  as  the  polishing  proceeds,  if  the  focal  length 
slowly  increases  in  a  tabulated  proportion  to  the  time.  The  six  foot  specu- 
lum it  is  expected  will  be  finished  after  six  hours*  polishing. 

An  Enormous  Steam  Engine — by  far  the  largest  ever  constructed — is 
now  in  process  of  manufacture  at  Harvey  and  Go's,  foundry,  Hayle ;  the 
piston  rod,  which  was  forged  last  week,  is  19  feet  long,  13  inches  diameter 
m  the  middle,  and  16  inches  in  the  core ;  and  weighs  3  tons  16  cwt  It  will 
work  in  an  80  inch  cylinder,  which  will  stand  in  the  middle  of  another  cyl- 


198 


J»^f^fSk     Itemsi  ■■■'''- -^^^^  ^^■ 


i 


inder,  of  144  inclies  diameter.  Five  other  piston  rods  will  wort  t)etween 
the  inner  and  outer  cylinders.  We  conclude,  for  this  has  not  been  explained 
to  us,  that  the  piston  of  the  external  giant  cylinder  will  be  perforated  in  the 
middle  for  the  80  inch  cylinder  to  stand  in  it,  and  will  work  between  the  two. 
The  80  inch  cylinder  was  cast  last  week,  and  the  large  one  will  be  cast  soon. 
The  pumps  are  to  be  64  inches  in  diameter ;  a  measurement  which  may  af- 
ford some  idea  of  the  size  of  the  engine.  It  is  intended  for  draining  Haer- 
lem  lake,  in  Holland,  and  it  is  expected  that  other  orders  for  similar  engines 
will  be  received  from  the  same  quarter.  It  is  truly  gratifying  to  us  to  ob- 
serve that  Cornish  engineers  still  keep  so  far  in  advance  of  all  the  world, 
and  not  less  gratifying  to  see  that  foreign  powers  know  and  can  appreciate 
their  excellence.  Let  this  wonder  of  engineering  and  mechanical  skill  be 
considered,  as  well  as  the  duty  done  by  our  common  mine  engine ;  and  it 
must  be  confessed  that  our  Cornish  mechanics  are,  in  this  branch,  far  in  ad- 
vance of  every  competitor ;  and  we  may  reasonably  hope,  as  superior  merit 
must  be  appreciated  at  last,  that  our  engine  foundries  will  at  length  have 
their  full  share  of  public  and  government  patronage. 

Bothwai/s  Iron  Blocks. — An  experiment  has  been  made  in  Plymouth 
dockyard,  to  try  the  comparative  strength  of  Mr.  Bothway's  single  metal 
blocks  against  the  rope  it  is  calculated  to  take,  viz.,  a  3  inch  one.  A  rope 
of  that  size  was  rove  in  the  block,  and  one  end  brought  to  a  windlass,  and 
hove  on  until  it  broke.  A  3|  inch  was  then  tried  ;  though  larger  than  re- 
quired for  such  a  block,  this  also  gave  way ;  and  the  last  is  considered  by 
practical  men  fully  equal  to  the  powers  of  an  8  or  9  inch  block.  The  iron 
blocks  have  also  another  great  recommendation  in  doing  away  with  the  rope 
strappings,  as  many  serious  accidents  have  occurred  by  their  breaking. — 
Itondon  Mech.  Mag. 

Street  Sweeping  by  Machinery. — The  first  exhibition  in  the  metropolis 
of  the  self  loading  cart,  or  street  sweeping  machine,  which  has  for  some 
time  been  in  use  in  Manchester,  and  is  fully  described  in  the  "  Mechanics* 
Magazine,"  No.  1014,  took  place  recently  on  the  wood  pavement  in  Regent 
street,  and  attracted  crowds  of  persons  to  view  its  very  novel  apparatus. 
The  cart  was  drawn  by  two  horses,  and  attended  by  a  driver,  and  as  it  pro- 
ceeded caused  the  rotary  motion  of  the  wheels  to  raise  the  loose  soil  from 
the  surface  of  the  wood,  and  deposite  it  in  a  vehicle  attached  to  the  cart 
Proceeding  at  a  moderate  rate  through  Regent  street,  the  cart  left  behind  it 
a  well  swept  track,  which  formed  a  striking  contrast  with  the  adjacent  ground. 
It  filled  itself  in  a  space  of  six  minutes,  its  power  being  equal  to  that  of  forty 
men,  and  its  operation  being  of  a  three  fold  nature — that  of  sweeping,  load- 
ing and  carrying  at  the  same  time,  which  imder  the  old  process  formed  three 
distinct  operations. — Ibid. 

A  Handsome  Present. — The  little  steamer  built  by  Mehemet  Ali  to  send 
as  a  present  to  the  Sultan,  is  a  most  splendid  little  vessel,  furnished  in  a  most 
costly  style.  The  cabins  are  entirely  built  of  rosewood  and  mahogany, 
with  silver  columns,  and  rich  satin  curtains  covered  with  gol^.  She  is 
schooner  rigged,  and  the  masts  are  all  of  solid  cherry  wood.  The  engines 
are  of  thirty-six  horse  power,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  she  will  be  a  most 
acceptable  gift  to  the  Sultan  as  a  pleasure  yacht. — Herapath'j  Journal. 


CONTENTS: 


T 


ingiperiiig— : 


Cost  of  trancportation  ou  railroads. — Charles 

Ellet.Jr.  C.  E., 
Inntitute  of  civil  engineers, 
Communication. — X., 
Rate*  of  tua  and  rates  of  ipeed  on  raiIroa<l(, 


Page. 


Notes  on  practical  e; 

98'Indiana  railroad  repory 

106  Lord  Ilossn's  telescop*; 


No.  6, 


109 
111 


An  enonaoua  XMUna^jjuw. 
Itemt,  1       "" 


16 
120 
125 
1» 


LlM^ 


tMt'in.    AMERICAN 

'»»  RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 


<')•' 


A;h:c-  ■'-' "'  '.■  AND  - 

;;  MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE^. 


tiAl.!* 


Piiblighed  Monthly  at  23  Chambers-st  New  York,  \  \  By  GEO.  C.  8CF?AEFFER,  and 

«t  »2  a-year,  in  advance,  or  ')  copies  lor  $5.        S  f  !*•  ".  MINOR,  Editors. 

Ko.    5,  Vol.    2.    \  ]UAV     \<iLAA  J  Whole  No.  436. 

Third  Series.      \  MAY,    1044.  \       Vol.  XVU. 

■WEAR   AND   TEAR,    AND    DESTRUCTION   OF   IRON   RAILS.        •''-  ^  ■   "■  -  i» 

We  had  hoped  that  ere  this  we  should  have  received  from  some  of  our 
correspondents  a  review  of  Mr.  EUet's  communications  on  '•  the  cost  of  trans> 
portation  on  railroads."  In  these  there  is  much  in  which  we  concur  ;  but 
there  is,  on  the  other  hand,  so  much  of  error  mixed  up  with  the  truths  that 
they  contain,  that  it  is  extremely  desirable  that  some  practical  engineer,  who 
has  constructed  and  managed  railroads,  should  review  them,  and  inform  the 
readers  of  the  Journal,  many  of  whom  are  large  stockholders  in  their  un- 
dertakings, where  the  views  taken  in  Mr.  EUet's  papers  are  correct,  and 
where  erroneous. 

On  one  point  it  seems  to  be  generally  conceded  that  Mr.  E.  has  adopted 
most  exaggerated  views.  We  mean  in  relation  to  the  wear  and  tear  and  de- 
struction of  iron  rails.  This  has  been  hitherto  much  greater  apparantlp^ 
than  it  is  really,  from  the  disposition  of  railroad  companies,  both  in  England 
and  America,  to  progress  in  the  improvement  of  their  superstructures  with 
the  increase  of  their  business,  which  has  led  them  often  to  substitute  a  heavier 
rail  for  a  lighter,  long  before  the  latter  had  given  out,  and  in  some  cases 
even  before  it  was  materially  injured.  It  is  obvious,  however,  that  what- 
ever may  have  been  hitherto  a  fair  allowance  for  the  wear  and  tear  of  iron, 
a  very  small  one  comparatively  will  be  sufficient  hereafter^  for  the  following 
reasons:        •  -  \'.  ■  , 

1st.  The  value  of  slow  motion  for  freights  is  now  beginning  to  be  geher- 
kily  understood,  and  the  wear  and  tear  and  destruction  of  rails,  occasioned 
by  the  passage  of  a  train  oyer  a  railroad,  is  much  more  than  proportionally 
diminished  with  every  diminution  of  speed. 

'2d.  The  locomotives  now  being  introduced  for  freights,  with  much  more 
adhesion,  and,  in  consequence,  much  more  capability  than  the  old,  have  their 
weights  more  equally  diffused,  and  less  on  a  single  pair  of  wheels  than  the 
old,  and  the  motion  of  a  train  over  a  road,  drawn  by  such  a  locomotive,  is, 
therefore,  much  less  injurious. 

'  3d.  While  by  the  use  of  these  effective,  but  slightly  oppressive  machines, 
at  slow  motion,  the  passage  of  a  train  over  a  railroad  is  much  less  injurious 
than  it  formerly  was,  inasmuch  as  the  injury  to  the  rail  (that  arising  principal* 


130  Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads. 

»  ■ 

ly  from  the  passage  of  the  locomotive  and  not  of  the  cars,)  is  but  little  more 
for  a  long  than  a  short  train,  the  amount  of  injury  per  ton  conveyed  i* 
still  farther  diminished  compared  with  what  it  has  been,  in  consequence  of 
the  increased  length  of  trains. 

For  the  above  reasons  it  is  obvious  that  Mr.  EUet's  calculations,  as  to  the 
wear  and  tear  of  railroad  iron,  per  ton  conveyed,  deduced  from  roads  on 
which  high  speeds,  engines  with  great  weight  on  a  single  pair  of  wheels, 
and  short  trains,  are  run,  must  necessarily  be  immensely  exaggerated,  when 
applied  to  the  Reading  railroad,  on  which,  if  we  are  correctly  informed,  8 
wheel  engines,  at  a  moderate  velocity,draw  trains  averaging  160  tons  nett,and 
on  which,  it  is  believed,  that  engines  of  the  same  weight  with  those  now  em- 
ployed, so  constructed  as  to  have  the  benefit  of  their  whole  adhesion,  and 
with  the  weight  equally  divided  on  all  the  wheels,  (so  as  to  have  but  little 
more  Aveight  on  a  wheel  than  the  weight  on  an  ordinary  car  wheel,)  may 
draw  300  tons.  With  such  engines,  and  we  have  no  doubt  they  will  be  ere 
long  introduced  on  the  Reading  and  other  roads,  the  iron  of  railroads  may 
be  expected  to  last  as  long,  with  slow  transportation  on  locomotive  as  on 
horse  power  railroads,  and  on  the  latter  the  wear  of  a  well  made  edge  rail 
may  be  considered  so  small  an  item,  as  to  be  scarcely  worthy  of  consider- 
ation. 

We  have  designed  in  the  above  remarks  only  to  advert  to  the  subject 
noticed  in  them,  by  way  of  inviting  the  attention  of  some  intelligent  and  prac- 
tical professional  gentleman  to  it,  and  to  the  other  elements  of  the  cost  of 
transportation  on  railroads  considered  in  Mr.  EUet's  communications.  We 
have  indeed  to  regret  that  those  members  of  the  profession  of  civil  engineers 
who  could  do  most  to  enlighten  the  public  mind  on  subjects  connected  with 
their  profession,  have  but  rarely  listened  to  our  appeals  to  them.  We  shall 
continue  to  hope,  however,  that  this  may  be  more  the  case  hereafter  than  it 
has  been  heretofore,  and  that  those  whose  experience  is  greatest  in  their  pro 
fession  may  be  willing  occasionally  to  present  through  our  columns  their 
views  on  important  professional  subjects  in  relation  to  which  it  is  desirable 
that  the  public  mind  should  receive  correct  impressions.  ^ 

BALTIMORE   AND   OHIO   RAILSOAD TRANSPORTATION   OP   IIEAVT   FREIGHTS. 

Through  the  politeness  of  B.  H.  Latrobe,  Esq.,  chief  engineer,  we  have 
received  a  pamphlet,  entitled  "  Two  replies  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail- 
road company,  to  interrogatories  propounded  to  the  said  company  by  the 
house  of  delagates  of  Maryland."  The  main  object  of  the  inquiries  ap- 
pears to  have  been  to  ascertain  the  rates  per  ion  at  which  "  the  railroad  com- 
pany would  engage  to  transport  coal,  iron,  etc.,  from  Cumberland  to  dam 
No.  6,  provided  an  arrangement  be  made  for  such  transportation  to  last  for 
two,  and  also  for  twelve  years,  or  permanently."  To  these,  and  other  in- 
quiries, the  company  replied,  under  date  of  1st  February,  1844,  as  follows, 
to  the  1st  and  3d  inquiries — the  answer  to  the  2d,  4th  and  5th  are  here  omit- 
ted, a|  the  whole  subject  is  fully  answered  in  the  reply  of  the  company, 


^L 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads, 


131 


through  their  able  president,  Louis  McLane  Esq.,  in  answer  to  a  second 
call  from  the  house  of  delegates,  which,  with  the  accompanying  estimates, 

v*  and  statements,  we  give  at  full  length.  -^^x-- 

1st  inquiry.  What  is  "the  lowest  rate  of  toll  per  ton  per  mile  at  which 

.  ;  the  company  would  agree  to  transport  coal^  iron,  etc.,  from  Cumberland  to 
dam  No.  6,  etc. 

"  1st.  That,  prorided  a  satisfactory  arrangement  be  made  within  the  en- 
suing twelve  months,  for  the  transportation  of  not  less  than  105,000  tons  of 
cdal  annually,  in  equal  daily  quantities,  during  the  canal  season,  assumed  to 
be  250  day.s,  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  to  continue  for  twelve  years 
or  permanently,  this  company  will  engage  to  transport  that  amount,  or  any 
greater  quantity  not  exceeding  500,000  tons  as  aforesaid,  between  those  ooints 
at  1^  cent  per  ton  per  mile." 

2d  Inquiry,  Requests  a  "  statement  of  the  relative  cost  of  transportation 
by  mean«  of  the  railroad  and  canal  from  Cumberland  to  Greorgetown,  and 
by  the  canal  alone,  if  finished,"  to  the  latter  place.  ">: :  .  - 

*  .  "  3d.  That  this  company  decline  to  assert  positively  the  lowest  cost  of 
transportation  by  the  canal  alone,  if  finished  from  Georgetown  to  Cumber- 
land^  but  assuming  such  cost  to  be,  as  stated  in  the  report  of  the  canal  com- 
pany of  the  16th  of  November  last,  1  ^^^  of  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  the 
relative  cost  of  transportation  by  means  of  the  railroad  from  Cumberland  to 
dam  No.  6,  and  thence  by  canal  to  Georgetown^  and  by  the  canal  alone,  if 
finished  from  the  same  to  the  same,  will  appear  as  follows :  ■   >f? ;  -  V 

"  Tolls  and  charges  on  railroad  to  dam  No.  6,  45  miles  at  1 J  cent,        60 
*  Tolls  and  transportation  on  the  canal  from  dam  No.  6  to  George- 
town, 136  miles  at  1 1^^^  cent  per  mile.  1  70^ 


*  The  cost  of  transporting  a  ton  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  George- 
town by  the  canal  alone,  184^  miles,  at  the  above  rate  of  1  i 


$2  30^ 


26t 
OQO 


cent  per  ton  per  mile,  $2  31" 

From  the  estimates  here  given,  which  have  unquestionably  been  made 
with  great  care,  it  will  be  seen  that  heavy  freights  may  be  carried  on  a  rail- 
road at  very  low  rates,  and  at  a  fair  profit — where  the  trade  is  regular  arid 
certain. 

These  "  replies"  arfe  from  practical  men  who  have  been  long  in  the  school 
of  experience— and  will  be,  by  many,  deemed  conclusive  answers  to  Mr. 
EUet's  theory  in  relation  to  the  wear  and  tear  of  iron  rails. 

Office  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company^  Iv 

February  15th,  1844. 
To  the  honorabU  the  speaker  of  the  h»ust  of  delsgates  : 

Sia:  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  on  the  12th  inst,  the  order  of  the  house 
of  delegates  passed  on  the  10th,  and  having  at  the  earliest  day  practicable 
submitted  it  to  the  board  of  directors  of  this  company,  I  am  authorized  to 
transmit  the  following  reply.  '  >.; 

In  the  first  place,  the  board  desire  it  should  be  distinctly  understood  that 
the  investigation  into  which  the  house  of  delegates  have  been  led,  has  been 
without  their  prompting  or  knowledge,  and  that  in  responding  to  inquiries 
into  their  resources  and  business,  which,  by  exposing  in  detail  the  course  and 
results  of  a  single  branch  of  their  operations,  may  possibly  lead  to  errone- 
ous inferences  in  respect  to  others — without  a  like  opportunity  of  ezplaaa- 


.>-'i......i 


Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads. 

tion — they  yield  only  to  a  sense  of  respect  due  to  the  legislature  of  the  State    t. 
having  so  deep  an  interest  in  the  trade  and  revenues  of  the  road.     The  se- 
quel of  this  present  answer  will  satisfactorily  show  that  the  board  need  have   - 
no  other  objection  to  the  amplest  exposition  of  their  credit  and  resources,  and     ' 
of  the  whole  range  of  their  transactions,  on  any  other  gro'ond  than  that  al-    :. 
ready  indicated. 

The  board  have  at  no  time  heretofore  deemed  it  expedient  or  desirahle  to 
make  expensive  preparations  for  the  transportation  of  any  considerable  . 
amount  of  coal  from  the  mines  in  Allegheny  county.  It  has  been  quite  oh- 
vious  to  them,  as  indeed  they  must  presume  it  will  be  to  all,  that  without  the 
facilities  of  railroad  communication  between  the  mines  and  Cumberland,  the 
article  could  not  be  brought  to  the  latter  point  in  quantities  sufficient  to  war- 
rant a  large  expenditure  in  providing  means  of  transportation  by  any  chan- 
nel whatever.  Up  to  this  period  the  ultimate  route  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad  from  Cumberland  to  the  Ohio  river  is  too  indeterminate  to  au- 
thorise any  attempt  to  extend  it  to  any  part  of  the  coal  region,  and  it  is  only 
recently  that  the  board  have  seen  any  evidence  of  the  existence,  in  any  other 
quarter,  of  the  capital  sufficient  either  to  construct  a  road  to  the  mines,  or  to 
develope,  except  in  a  partial  degree,  their  resources.  It  would  be  manifestly 
unwise  in  this  company,  or,  as  it  may  be  presumed,  in  any  authority  what- 
ever, to  venture  upon  a  large  expenditure  to  acquire  the  capacity  to  accom- 
modate a  particular  branch  of  trade,  without  at  least  some  reasonable  assu*  • 
ranee  that  after  the  capacity  should  be  acquired,  sufficient  trade  would  exist 
to  employ  it;  and  this  consideration  is  particularly  applicable  to  the  opera- 
tions of  the  railroad,  inasmuch  as  the  greater  part  of  the  preparations  ncces-  . 
sary  for  the  transportation  of  coal  would  not  be  needed,  and  could  not  be  ad-  ;■ 
vantageously  employed  in  any  other  business. 

This  board,  moreover,  after  thorough  investigation  of  the  subject  in  all 
its  bearings,  have  placed  no  great  confidence  in  the  expectations  lounded  ;" 
upon  the  rapid  and  extensive  developement  of  the  coal  of  that  portion  of  the  .' 
State.     If  the  requisite  capital  for  the  purpose  can  be  commanded,  they  have  ^' 
been  unable  to  discover  any  evidence  that  the  demand  for  consumption  will  ' 
be  such  as  to  authorize,  on  their  part,  at  least,  any  great  preparations  for  en-  • 
gaging  in  the  trade.     They  have  become  convinced,  on  the  contrary,  that 
many  years  must  elapse  before  the  demand  will  require  more  than  100,000 
tons  in  any  one  year,  whatever  lacilities  of  transportation  may  be  afforded. 
It  is  to  be  observed  also  that  to  justify  the  railroad  company  in  engaging  ex- 
tensively in  the  transportation  of  coal,  at  such  rates  as  would  bring  it  to 
market  upon  equal  terms  with  coal  of  other  States,  it  would  be  necessary  '• 
that  the  trade  should  be  large  in  amount,  and  of  certain  and  regular  supply^ , 
throughout  the  year  ;  of  which,  up  to  this  time  certainly,  there  has  been  no 
satisfactory  assurance.     Of  the  capacity  of  the  company,  with  those  advan- 
tages, to  engage  in  the  transportation  of  coal,  at  rates  extremely  profitable^  ' 
•    and  at  the  same  tinie  so  low  as  to  exclude  the  apprehension  of  rivalry  from  ' 
other  works — according  to  any  rate  of  charge  at  present  known — the  board 
have  never  doubted.     The  estimates  accompanying  this  ariswer.  and  the  large 
margin  of  profit  which  they  exhibit  upon  the  terms  assumed,  will  show  that 
if  the  board  would  be  content  with  a  nett  profit  of  six  per  cent,  upon  the 
capital  employed,  it  has  the  capacity  to  engage  in  the  trade  from  the  mines 
to  the  city  of  Baltimore  at  rates  below  any  other  mode  of  transportation  at 
present  known.     The  indisposition  of  the  board,  therefore,  heretofore  to  en- 
gage in  the  transportation  of  coal,  has  proceeded  from  no  other  apprehension 
than  the  want  of  certainty  and  regularity  in  the  amount ;  and  on  this  groun<L. 
they  have  preferred  waiting  events,  and  to  test  the  practicability  of  develop-. 


CSo5t  of  TreuuporiatioK  on  Railroads. 


m 


ments  so  confidently  predicted  by  others ;  wdth  entire  confidence,  at  the  same 
.^me,  that  if  those  expectations  should  be  realized  and  the  trade  in  coal  be- 
come sufficiently  regular  and  certain,  they  could,  at  any  time,  engage  in  the 
transportation  of  it  to  Baltimore  without  danger  of  serious  competition  with 
«ny  other  rival. 

Previous  to  the  order  of  the  house  of  delegates  of  the  ^th  of  January, 
however,  the  board  were  officially  informed  by  the  president  of  the  Mary- 
land and  New  York  iron  and  coal  company,  that  he  had  procUre<i  the  re- 
quisite funds  for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  the  works  of  that  com- 
pany to  Cumberland  and  was  anxious  for  the  completion  of  the  road  in  the 
■ihortest  possible  time.     The  same  officer  also  verbally  communicated  his 
desire  to  adopt  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  to  Baltimore  for  the  trans- 
portation of  coal  and  iron,  if  this  company  woujd  engage  in  the  trade  at  such 
rates  as  would  enable  him  advantageously  to  do  so.     The  investigation  to 
which  this  application  led  only  confirmed  the  opinion  of  the  board  that  they 
might  engage  in  the  transportation  with  great  advantage  to  the  stockholders, 
«nd  upon  terms  which,  considering  the  speed  at  which  they  could  perform 
the  business,  and  the  superiority  of  the  Baltimore  market,  he  might  be  well 
content  to  accept.     Under  such  circumstances,  they  felt  an  obligation  not  to 
withhold  their  aid  from  the  development  of  the  resources  of  that  important 
region.     The  order  of  the  house  of  delegates  of  the  25th  January,  there- 
fore, came  while  investigations  into  the  practicability  of  arrangements  for 
this  purpose  were  actually  in  progress.     A  few  days  subsequent  to  the  an- 
swer of  the  board  to  that  order,  the  president  of  the  Maryland  and  New 
York  iron  and  coal  company  submitted  a  further  and  specific  proposition; 
and  it  uny  be  proper  to  remark,  that  in  this  proposition  that  company,  of 
acknowledged  means  and  capacity,  does  not  appear  to  contemplate  a  greater 
amount  of  transportation  than  62,i500  tons  per  annum  for  a  period  of  five 
years,  and  that  not  of  coal  only,  but  of  "  coal,  pig  iron,  bar  iron,  fire  bricks, 
castings,  and  other  manufactures  of  iron."     The  object  of  the  propositioa 
was  to  ascertain  the  terms  upon  which  this  board  would  tran.«port  that  amount 
from  livt  mines  to  Baltimore,  if  the  Maryland  and  New  York  company 
would  make  a  railroad  from  the  mines  to  the  depot  at  Cumberland,  and  enter 
into  an  agreement  for  five  years  to  furnish  a  freight,  for  one  train  of  cars, 
•apposed  to  transport  175  tons  per  day  for  three  hundred  days  in  the  year. 

In  answer  to  the  proposition,  this  board  have  offered  to  enter  into  an  en- 
gagement to  transport  that  amount  of  freight,  in  the  manner  proposed,  from 
the  mines  to  Baltimore^  at  one  and  one-third  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  a  distance 
of  188  miles,  with  ten  cents  per  ton  for  transportation  through  the  streets  of 
Baltimore;  and  one  cent  per  ton  per  mile  for  188  miles  in  addition  upon 
manufactured  iron,  when  required  to  be  transported  in  house  c^irs  ;  the  Mary- 
land «nd  New  York  company  to  load  and  unload  the  cars.  An  official  es- 
timate, forming  the  basis  of  this  ofl!er  upon  the  part  of  the  company,  and 
showing  the  results  of  the  operation,  is  herewith  submitted,  marked  D. 

I  have  now  to  add  that  since  the  preparation  oi  this  reply,  a  communica- 
tion h:is  been  received  from  the  president  of  the  Maryland  and  New  York 
iron  and  coal  company,  announcing  the  acceptance  by  that  company  of  the 
foregoing  ofi'er ;  and  stating  his  readiness  to  conclude  a  formal  agreement 
to  carry  out  the  arrangement. 

With  these  remarks,  which  have  been  deemed  proper  for  a  full  under- 
standing of  the  whole  subject,  I  proceed  to  a  more  particular  reply  to  the 
several  questions  propounded  in  the  order  of  the  10th  instant 

rX&X.  'I'he  terms  "  satisfactory  arrangement,"  in  the  answer  of  the  board 
of  the  1st  instant,  are  to  be  understood  to  require  a  reasonable  assurance  that 


134  Cktst  of  Transportation  on  Railroadx 

the  amount  of  transportation  for  which  the  company  would  be  compelled  to 
qualify  itself,  should  in  good  faith  be  furnished ;  and  with  such  regularity 
and  punctuality,  during  the  period  assumed,  as  would  authorize  the  board  to 
engage  in  it  at  the  low  rates  proposed. 

If  such  reasonable  assurance  could  not  be  given  by  those  who  are  inter- 
ested in  the  trade,  and  who  are  seeking  the  means  of  reaching  the  market, 
it  is  not  perceived  upon  what  grounds  they  can  with  propriety  demand  a 
large  expenditure  of  money  for  the  preparation  of  any  means  oi'  transporta* 
tion. 

It  has  already  been  remarked  that  without  a  railroad  communication  from 
the  Frostburg  mines  to  Cumberland,  it  is  obviously  impossible  that  the  Te> 
sources  of  the  former  can  be  sent  forward  in  quantities  to  justify  any  consid-v 
erable  preparation  of  any  kind ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  these  workf 
will  be  constructed  until  the  market  shall  demand  an  adequate  supply,  and. 
the  capital  be  provided  to  meet  such  supply.  As  the  basis,  therefore,  of  any 
*'  satiisfactory  arrangement"  contemplated  in  the  former  answer,  the  boanl 
would  require, — First,  that  the  necessary  communications  from  the  mines 
to  Cumberland,  should  be  constructed ;  Second,  that  adequate  capital  for 
working  the  mines  to  the  proposed  extent  should  be  provided  ;  and  Third^ 
that  responsible  parties,  engaged  in  the  business,  should  enter  into  an  agree- 
ment  to  furnish  the  requisite  amount  upon  the  terms  and  in  the  manner  pro- 
posed. The  board  would  take  it  for  granted  that  responsible  parties  would 
not  perform  these  things  without  a  reasonable  certainty  that  they  wouM  find 
a  market  for  the  products  of  their  labor  and  capital ;  and  until  they  can  have 
such  certainty  they  would  not  be  justified  in  demandkig  extensive  and  unne- 
cessary expenditures,  of  which  they  could  not  avail  themselves. 

2d.  For  the  charge  of  I^  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  as  specified  in  their  an-v 
swer  of  the  1st  instant,  the  board  contemplates  a  ton  of  2,240  lbs. 

3d.  In  re(ily  to  this  answer,  and  in  illustration  of  other  parts  of  this  answer 
I  herewith  submit  a  report  and  estimate  of  the  superintendent  of  machinery 
.  and  repairs,  approved  and  confirmed  by  the  chief  engineer  of  the  company, 
marked  B.  From  this  it  will  appear  that  to  provide  the  necessary  "convey*  - 
ances,  cars  and  machinery,  to  accommodate  a  trade  of  105,000  tons,  annually, 
between  Cumberland  and  dam  No.  6,"  it  will  require  the  sum  of  eighty 
seven  thousand  dollars,  and  for  additional  sideling  tracks  at  dam  No.  6,  tkr^ 
thousand  dollars,  making  together  ninety  thousand  dollars  ;  and  "  for  the 
accommodation  of  500,000  tons,  annually,  between  the  said  points,"  it  would 
require  $450,000,  including,  of  course,  the  previous  sum  of  $90,000. 

4th.  Under  other  circumstances,  it  might  be  a  sufficient  reply  to  the  ques- 
tion to  state  that  the  company  expect  to  derive  the  means  to  enable  them  to 
engage  in  the  transportation  they  have  contemplated,  from  those  sources  from 
which  all  railroad  companies  derive  the  noeans  of  maintaining  their  workt 
and  carrying  on  their  trade ;  and  that  this  board  is  quite  incapable  of  ven- 
turing to  engage  in  any  branch  of  trade,  without  a  just  reliance  upon  their 
ability  to  fulfil  their  engagements.  Upon  the  present  occasion,  however, 
the  board  desire  to  give  a  more  particular  answer. 

In  their  annual  report  of  October,  1842,  the  board  stand  pledged  not  to 
apply*  any  portion  of  their  annual  revenue  to  the  extension  of  the  road  west 
of  Cumtlerland,  without  at  least  the  consent  of  the  stockholders ;  and.  ad- 
hering to  the  determination  to  prosecute  their  work  with  the  least  possible 
delay  to  the  Ohio  river,  they  would  deem  it  unwise  to  use  any  part  of  their 
fund  appropriately  applicable  to  the  extension  of  the  road,  for  the  purpose 
of  increasing  their  machinery  for  the  accommodation  of  trade  from  the  pre- 
set terminus. 


X...-,.  .^\-:,::  -r. .--■.■  X...-  ^■.,\^^-'^- 


I  Cost  of  T^ransportation  on  Railroads.  ^Ipl 

■■  ■-'■!*i%"A'iV''r^"'^  '-■'■  ■  ■■    ;  '  ^-^' 

The  trade  upon  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  however,  is  obviously 
«n  the  increase,  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  year  may  require  some  aug- 
mentation of  its  machinery  for  the  accommodation  of  the  regular  and  accus- 
tomed  business.  For  this  purpose,  and  for  any  new  trade  in  which  the  board 
may  decide  to  engage,  the  ordinary  and  legitimate  resources  are  the  credit 
and  rexxntu  of  the  company.  From  one  of  these  the  capital  needed  for  the 
contemplated  transportation  of  coal  must  be  drawn,  and  that  either  will  prove 
entirely  adequate,  is  not  to  be  doubted. 

Of  the  solidity  of  its  credit,  this  company  has  just  reason  to  be  proud ; 
and  they  have  the  gratification  to  know  that  under  its  financial  arrangements, 
the  improved  economy  in  its  operations,  and  the  continual  increase  in  its 
business,  its  credit  is  daily  becoming  better  entitled  to  public  confidence.  It 
has,  at  all  times,  promptly  complied  with  its  obligations  to  the  State,  and  to 
individuals  ;  its  ability  in  the  fature  is  not  less  than  in  the  past ;  and  its  bonds 
now  outstanding  for  the  debt  incurred  on  account  of  the  Washington  road, 
are  in  demand  in  the  market  at  a  premium  of  five  per  cent.  If  it  may  be 
assumed  that  capitalists  will  be  found  to  advance  the  requisite  funds  for  work- 
ing the  mines  which  are  to  yield  the  coal  for  transportation,  and  for  the  coa-. 
Mruction  of  the  roads  necessary  for  its  conveyance  to  Cumberland ;  or  if  it 
be  probable  that  the  same  facilities  may  be  found  to  raise  the  millions  requi- 
site to  provide  other  channels  of  conveyance,  not  merely  dependant  upon  the 
developement  of  the  trade,  but  in  competition,  as  the  estimates  herewith  sub- 
mitted show,  with  a  work  in  full  operation,  capable  of  transporting  at  as  low 
a  cost ;  the  ability  of  this  company  to  raise,  upon  its  credit,  some  addition  to 
its  revenae,  to  be  employed  ia  a  business  certainly  yielding  a  nett  annual 
profit  of  Hot  less  than  20  per  cent,  will  scarcely  be  deemed  less  probable. 

The  revenue  of  the  company,  should  h  be  proper  to  use  it,  presents  a  re- 
source equally  available. 

The  nett  revenue  of  the  last  year  amounted  to  nearly  $280,000,  and 
eaoHgh  is  already  known  to  authorize  the  presumption  that  for  the  present 
it  will  not  be  less  than  $300,000.  Hence  it  will  be  clear,  from  the  estimate 
already  referred  to,  that  to  accommodate  a  coal  trade  of  1<^,000  tons  per 
annum,  from  the  mines  to  dam  No.  6,  little  more  than  font  months  of  the 
nett  revenue  will  suffice ;  and  that  for  the  same  amount  of  transportation 
from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  a  much  less  sum  will  be  adequate.  It  is  to 
be  remarked  also,  that  upon  either  amount,  should  it  be  drawn  from  the 
revenue,  the  stockholders  will  annually  receive  nearly  20  per  cent,  from  its 
new  employment,  and  one-third  per  ceitt.  upon  the  entire  capital  of  $7,000,000. 

Whether  the  boaid  will  resort  to  its  credit  or  to  its  revenue,  will  depend 
upon  the  best  view  they  may  take  of  the  interest  of  the  stockholders,  when 
it  may  become  necessary  to  resort  to  either. 

The  conviction  entertained  by  the  board,  of  the  progress  and  amount  of 
the  contemplated  coal  trade,  if  the  supply  for  consumption  should  immedi- 
ately require  the  transportation  of  1(^,000  tons  in  one  year,  they  are  quite 
confidefll  that  after  reaching  that  amount,  whenever  that  may  be,  the  annual 
increase  from  that  time,  may  be  accommodated  from  the  profits  derived  from 
this  branch  of  trade.  It  may  well  be  supposed,  that  no  one  csm  be  found 
so  sanguine  as  to  imagine  that  the  consumption  of  this  coal  will  at  t^e  end 
of  eight  years  require  the  annual  transportation  of  more  than  500,000  tonsj 
and  upon  this  hypothesis,  the  statement  herewith  submitted,  marked  C,  will 
show  that  the  transportation  of  such  amount  at  that  period,  as  well  as  pre- 
vious thereto  will  be  maintained  by  Ae  profits  of  this  single  operation,  with- 
out further  recourse  to  the  revenue  or  the  credit  of  the  company.  If,  how- 
ever, the  board  should,  in  any  degx€e  be  disappointed  in  these  expectations 


t»,    '     .^■k  «^  ^ 


^136  -  .    Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads. 

.—-which  they  by  no  means  apprehend — the  deficiency,  small  as  it  must  ne- 
cessarily be,  may  be  readily  supplitd  from  either  of  the  sources  already  in- 
dicated. 

5th.  In  reply  to  this  question  also  the  attention  of  the  house  of  delegates 
is  particularly  requested  to  the  estimates  already  referred  to,  and  marked  B  ; 
which  were  taken  as  the  basis  of  the  previous  answer  of  the  board  of  the 
1st  instant. 

These  estimates  and  the  expenses  of  transportation  are  in  every  instance 
derived  from  the  actual  experience^  not  only  of  other  companies  but  of  this 
company  ;  an  experience  in  our  operations  of  many  years,  and  from  their 
uniformity,  and  the  economy  we  have  been  enabled  to  introduce,  all  estimates 
founded  upon  them  possess,  in  all  our  calculations,  the  most  satisfactory  au- 
thority. 

It  is  to  be  observed  also  that  the  principal  means  by  which  we  are  enabled  " 
to  engage  in  the  transportation  of  coal  at  the  low  rates  referred  to,  are  found 
— 1st,  in  the  use  of  the  approved  heavy  engine,  possessing  nearly  triple  the 
capacity  of  those  formerly,  and  now  in  use  by  the  company — 2d,  in  the  com- 
parative cheapness  of  the  description  of  cars,  and  th^  less  weight  they  are 
required  to  have  in  proportion  to  the  load  they  carry — and,  3d,  in  the  amount 
and  regularity  and  punctuality  of  the  trade. 

It  may  therefore  be  stated,  that  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  a  distance 
of  45  miles,  the  cost  per  ton  per  mile  of  transporting  1C5,COO  tons  in  250 
days  of  canal  navigation,  is  estimated  at  -^^^  of  a  cent.  If  the  charge  be 
1^  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  the  nett  profit  will  be  t^oVu  o^  ^  Cfnt'per  ton  per 
mile ;  and  upon  105,000  tons  transported  45  miles,  or  4,725,000  tons  carried 
one  mile,  it  would  be  $18,522,  being  upwards  of  20  per  cent,  upon  the  ca- 
pital employed,  and  more  than  one  per  cent  upon  the  entire  cost  of  the  road 
of  45  miles  used  for  the  transportation.  Upon  the  same  quantity  transported 
from  the  mines  to  dam  No.  6,  and  requiring  a  capital  of  $1C2,CC0,  the  nett 
profit  would  be  $23,215,  being  nearly  23  per  cent,  upon  the  capital  employed. 

It  will  also  be  observed  that  the  expenses  of  transporting  1C5,CC0  tons  of 
coal  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  include  interest  at  6  per  cent,  upon  the 
whole  cost  of  machinery  employed  in  it,  as  well  as  every  other  item  of  cost 
arising  out  of  the  trade ;  and  the  estimate  also  allows  one-fourth  of  a  cent 
per  ton  per  mile  for  the  increased  wear  and  tear  of  the  road  due  to  the  ac- 
cession of  the  additional  trade.  Regarding  this  specific  transportation  be- 
tween the  said  points  as  no  part  of  the  general  trade  of  the  road,  upon  which 
all  the  present  expenses  of  working  it  are  charged,  it  was  deemed  unjust  to 
charge  the  new  trade  with  any  part  of  the  expenses  already  incurred,  and 
which  would  continue,  although  the  additional  trade  should  not  be  under- 
taken ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  not  doubted  that  one-fourth  of  a  cent  per  ton  per 
mile  will  prove  ample  allowance  for  the  additional  wear  and  tear  it  is  in- 
tended to  cover. 

In  any  view,  therefore,  whether  we  regard  the  investment  of  the  addition- 
al capital  in  the  machinery  alone,  or  in  that  and  the  road  together,*  it  is  pre- 
sumed that  the  transportation  proposed  will  be  considered  "  profitable.** 

6th.  At  two  cents  per  ton  of  2240  lbs.  per  mile,  the  company  would  be 
willing  to  transport  coal  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  at  all  times,  with- 
out requiring  a  stipulation  that  it  should  be  delivered  in  equal  daily  quanti- 
ties ;  and  would  be  willing  to  "increase  its  machinery  for  that  purpose  ac- 
cording to  the  growth  and  requirements  of  the  coal  trade ;"  provided  such 
trade  between  those  points  shall  be  equal  to  50,000  tons  per  annum,  and  the 
company  not  be  required  to  transport  more  than  420  tons  in  one  day.  Or. 
if  the  trade  should  amount  to  100,000  toss  per  annum,  the  company  wotiM 


"f^  "L.'ti  '¥-wi.  ■"-  -^    -t*  '1 


V  ~y- ' ' 


Coft  ef  Tran$portatio»  on  Railroads.  ^^IR' 

tratispoff  It  Iq  the'same  manner,  and  at  the  same  rate  not  exceeding  840  loTM 
per  day. 

7th.  Since  the  opening  of  the  road  to  Cumberland,  in  November,  1842, 
the  rate  for  the  transportation  of  coal  has  been  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile; 
and  until  there  should  be  greater  facilities  for  its  conveyance  from  the  mines 
to  Cumberland,  the  company  did  not  increase  its  machinery  for  the  accom- 
modation of  this  trade.  The  whole  quantity  of  coal,  other  than  that  for  the 
use  of  the  company,  taken  from  Cumberland  upon  the  railroad  to  all  points 
amounted  to  5625  tons  of  2240  lbs. ;  and  all  that  was  offered  for  transporta- 
tion was  not  invariably  carried  when  presented.  There  was  occasionally 
also,  "delay  when  other  tonnage  was  seeking  transportation."  This  was 
the  consequence  of  an  insufficiency  of  niachinery  to  transport  all  articles 
offered  for  that  purpose  ;  and  when  it  became  necessary  to  choose  between, 
different  articles  presented  at  the  same  time,  such  as  were  perishable  or  most 
valuable,  were  preferred.  Such,  moreover,  was  the  irregularity  in  the  de- 
iiverv  of  co.il  as  to  render  its  prompt  transportation  in  many  cases  imprac- 
ticable, even  if  the  company  had  been  better  prepared  for  the  trade.  The 
limited  means,  during  the  past  year,  for  the  transportation  of  coal,  was  well 
known  to  the  dealers  ia  that  article,  who  without  any  expectation  of  its  im- 
mediate transportation,  must  have  delivered  it  with  full  knowledge  of  the  risk 
of  delaj'. 

8th.  The  highest  ascending  grade  on  the  railroad,  from  west  to  east  from 
Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  is  26-,*^  feet  per  mile. 

9th.  In  the  recent  answer  to  the  house  of  delegates,  it  is  stated,  thM  upon 
a  railroad  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland,  worked  in  connection  with  the 
road  from  Cumberland  to  dam.  No.  6,  and  with  the  same  machinery,  it  will 
cost  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile  on  the  former,  and  IJ  cent  per  ton  per  mile 
on  the  latter;  because  the  road  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland  is  but  ten 
miles  in  length,  and  dependant  for  its  revenue  entirely  upon  the  coal  trade. 
On  this  account  its  general  expense.<(  would  have  to  be  borne  entirely  by  that 
trade,  inasmuch  as  it  would  derive  no  such  aid  as  it  yielded  to  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad  from  the  travel,  and  transportation  of  burden,  by  which 
this  road  is  now  supported.  It  is,  therefore,  obvious  that  the  charges  cannot 
be  the  same  on  both  roads,  although  worked  by  the  same  machinery,  as  it  is 
supposed  in  the  recent  answer. 

Of  the  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  the  assumed  cost  on  the  road  from  the 
mines  to  Cumberland,  ly-^^  cent  would  be  received  by  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad  for  transportation,  and  the  remaining  -i^u^,V  cent  would  belong 
to  the  proprietors  of  the  former  road ;  and  if  the  road  be  supposed  to  cost 
$150,000,  and  the  expenses  of  repairs  and  management  to  be  at  the  rate  of 
$600  per  mile  per  annum,  it  would  require  a  trade  of  163,576  tons  over  its 
entire  length,  in  each  year  to  pay  an  interest  of  6  per  cent,  per  annum  upon 
the  cost  of  construction.  It  might  indeed  be  questioned  whether  the  propri- 
etors of  a  railroad  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland  would,  for  some  time  to 
come,  be  justified  in  charging  so  low  a  rate  of  toll  as  two  cents  per  ton  per 
mile,  assumed  in  the  receat  answer.         I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant,    i, 
Louis  McLase,  President 
I  B.  ] 
Estimates  of  the  cost  of  transporting  coal  from  Cumberland  and  from  the 

Frostburq  mines  to  dam  No.  6,  on  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal — ex- 

tracted  from  report  of  the  undersigned^  bearing  date  31s<  Jan.^  1844. 

Ist.  As  to  the  cost  of  transporting  coal  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,  by  the  Baltimore 
vcA  Ohio  railroad,  distance  45  miles.     This  estimate  contem|dates  the  employment  oi  loco- 


8  10 
1  36 
504 
350 
325 
684 

23  62 
1  50 

$55  80 
0591 
©250 
0^100 

119 '  Cost  of  Transportation  on  Railroads.' 

motiTes  weighing  20  tons,  and  of  safScient  power  to  tram^rt  30  can  carrying  7  tons  each, 
or  210  tons  of  coal  per  train,  and  that  three  locomotives  will  be  required  to  perform  the 
worii  of  two,  and  that  the  season  of  canal  navigation  will  continue  250  days — cars  loaded 
in  one  direction  on>y. 

ESTIMATED   COST    PCX   DAT    OF   TRAIN    CARRTINO  210  TONS   COAI^ 

Interest  on  1  1-2  times  cost  of  locomotive  and  tender  per  working  day, 

(the  cost  of  engine  and  tender  being  estimated  at  $10,000,)  -  $3  60 

Repairs  and  renewals  of  engine  and  tender  at  9  cents  per  mile  run  with 
trains— 90  mites  per  day,        -....» 
Oil  for  engine  and  tender,  11-2  gallons,  at  SOcenti.  •  • 

Fuel,  3  tons  of  coal  at  $1  68  per  ton,    •  .  .  .  • 

Wages  of  engineman  and  fireman,  -  -  •  .  • 

Wages  for  two  breakmen,  one  at  $1  25,  and  one  at'  $1,  «  • 

Interest  per  working  day  on  75  coal  cars,  at  $3  80  each,    • 
Repairs  and  renewidsof  cars  at  a  1-4  of  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile — ef  load 
hauled,  ...--..- 

Grease  for  cars.        -  -  .  •  ^  •  . 

Making  a  total  of  .  »  -       ^,  .,15 .,       ,.•_....* 

Being  at  a  rate  per  ton  per  mUe  of  -         ••        .  •."r;''^*.  0591  cenu. 

Add  to  this  for  wear  and  tear  of  road,  bridges,  etc.,      -         •■i^j  >c    -  ~ 

And  for  contingencies,  -  -  -  -  ••-'->•-. 

The  total  cost  per  ton  per  mile  will  then  be        •  -  -  0*941  cents. 

Two  such  trains  as  that  above  estimated  (with  less  than  which  the  trade  could  net  be  so 
economically  conducted)  would  carry  105,000  tons  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No. 
6  during  the  250  days  of  canal  navigation,  which  at  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile  would  yield 
a  nett  revenue  of  $50,037  75    at  1  1-2  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  $26,412  75. 

The  amount  of  capital  reouisite  to  procure  the  macninery  for  two  sack  trains  would  be 
387,000. 

2d.  As  to  the  cost  of  transporting  coal  from  the  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Frostburg  to 
dam  No.  6,  say  55  miles,  engines,  loiul,  etc.,  as  before — engines  working  two  days  and  lay- 
me  by  the  third  for  examination — average  day's  work  of  engines  and  attendants  of  train 

ESTIMATBD  COST   OF   TRAIN    PER    ROUND  TRIP   OP    110  MILES. 

Interest  on  1  1-2  times  cost  of  engine  and  tonder  per  round  trip,  (cost  of  enj^e 

and  tender  as  before,)       .-.-... 
Repairs  and  renewals  of  engine  and  tender  at  9  cents  per  mile  run,  with  trains, 
Fuel,  4  tons  coal  at  $1  per  ton,        ...... 

Oil  for  engine  and  tender  1  3-4  gallons,  at  90  cents  per  lonnd  trip,       • 
Wages  of  engine  and  fireman,  per  round  trip,  .... 

Wages  of  two  breakesmcn,  one  at  $1  25,  and  one  at  $1  per  day,  per  round  trip, 
Interest  on  75  cars  at  $  380  each,  per  round  trip,     .... 

Repairs  and  renewals  of  cars  at  1-4  of  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  of  load  hauled, 
Grease  for  cars,        ..--.--- 

Total  cost  of  train  per  round  trip,  -  •  •  -  •       $67  07 

Being  at  the  rate  of  -  -  -  -  •  -  0581  cents  per  ton  per  milik 

Add  to  this  for  wear  and  tear  of  road,  bridges,  etc.,  •  0*250  "  " 

And  for  contengincies,  -  .  -  .  .  0*100  "  ** 

And  we  have  as  total  cost,  ...  0*931  "  " 

Amount  of  money  required  to  procnre  the  machinery  to  nm  two  trains  per  day  under 
the  above  system  would  be  102,000  dollars. 

The  quantity  of  coal  transported  would  be  the  same  as  in  the  former  case — 105,000  tons. 

Nett  earnings  at  1  1-3  cents  per  ton  per  mile  would  be  ...     $23,215 

"        ♦'  1  1-2  cents  "  "  "  •  -  -  32,859 

»        ««         134  cento  "  "  "  -^     >  -       47,927 

"        "         2        cento  """..-  61,734 

The  cost  of  transporting  a  ton  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  Georgetown,  by  railroad  to 

dam  No.  6,  and  thence  by  canal,  will  be  as  follows,  viz : 

First. — Supposing  tolls  and  charges  upon  the  railroad  to  be  1  1-3  cento  per  ton 
per  mile,  on  45  nules  wonld  be  -  -  -  -  -  -$060 

And  supposing  charges  for  tolls  and  transportation  on  canal  to  be  the  same  as  as- 
sumed by  the  president  and  directors  of  the  canal  company  in  their  report  of  the 
I6th  November  last,  viz :  1  254-1000  cento  per  ton  per  imle,  on  138  would  be    I  70  1-4 
Total  cost  of  transportation,  .....       '$2  301-3 

Second. — Should  the  charge  upon  the  railroad  be  fixed  at  1  1-3  cento  per  ton  per 
mile,  add  to  the  above       .......  07  1-3 

Total  cost  will  then  bt--  ...  ._.  S  |8 


$5  40 

9  9ff 

4  00 

1  57 

5  25 

p,      3  37 

6  84 

28  87 

1  87 

jlwntttti  H«/ttm  of  {he^^assaehuseUs  'tidtlroais.  139 

TMrd.— Should  the  charge  upon  the  raUroad  be  fixed  at  1  3-4  cents  per  ton  per     '^'^ 
nule,  add  the  further  sum  of  ------  . , .   ,-       "  " 

Total  cost  will  then  be  -  -  -  -  ,-  *  2  491-4 

Pourth.—Should  the  charge  upon  the  railroad  be  fixed  at  2  cents  per  ton  per  nule 
add  as  before         .-..----  ^^  ^•^ 

Total  cost  from  Cumberland  to  Georgetown  will  then  be  -  -    2  60  1-3 

Fifth. — Should  the  road  be  extended  to  the  mines,  add  for  transportation  and        , 
charges  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland — say  .  -  -  -        20 

♦    .        Making  the  entire  cost  from  the  mines  to  Georgetown,         -  -  2  80  1-3 

The  cost  of  conveying  a  ton  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  Georgetown  by  the 

canal  alone,  at  the  rate  above  assumed,  distance  184  1-2  miles,  would  be  2  31 

Add  to  this  the  cost  upon  railroad  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland,  which  upon  a 
road  80  short  as  10  miles,  with  no  other  support  than  that  derived  from  the  coal 
trade,  and  to  be  worked  independently  of  tne  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  can- 
not be  much,  if  any,  less  than  ..---.        30 

And  we  have  as  the  cost  to  Georgetown,  by  railroad  to  Cumberland,  and 
thence  by  canal,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -^ft 

Respectfully  submitted  by        James  Mcbray,  ;••  ■ 

Engineer  of  machinery  and  repairs,  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad. 
Baltimore,  February  13,  1844. 

I  have  carefully  examined  the  preceding  estimates  and  have  confidence  in  their  suffi- 
ciency for  the  purposes  intended.  Benj.  H.  Latrobe,  Chief  Engineer. 

^-^ 

ANNUAL    RETURN   OF   THE    MASSACHUSETTS   RAILROADS   FOR    1843. 

In  presenting  an  abstract  of  the  Massachusetts  railroad  reports  for  the 
past  year,  we  have  to  regret  that  the  information  to  be  derived  from  the  ac- 
cumulated experience  of  years  is  much  less  than  might  have  been  expected 
—owing  to  the  absence  oi  much  of  the  detail  necessary  to  a  correct  under- 
standing of  railroad  statistics.  There  is,  however,  one  exception,  which  par- 
ticularly deserves  notice  and  commendation — we  refer  to  the  Western  rail- 
road company,  which,  following  the  plan  of  the  last  report,  has  given  xu 
again  a  full  statement  of  all  its  expenditures,  classed  under  various  heads, 
imd  affording  at  a  glance  the  cost  of  any  one  department  of  the  business. 

Before,  laying  before  or  readers  the  usual  tabular  statement,  we  shall  offer 
■an  analysis  of  each  of  the  reports,  with  such  remarks  as  may  be  suggested 

Western  Railroad. — From  this  very  voluminous  report  we  notice  briefly 
auch  matters  as  may  interest  the  general  reader.  The  receipts  for  1843  ex- 
ceed those  of  the  previous  year  by  $61,194  23 — a  favorable  indication  of 
the  prospects  of  this  great  work,  as  yet  but  barely  entered  upon  its  regular 
business.  It  is  well  known  that  the  adoption  of  comparatively  high  or  low 
fares  has  during  the  greater  part  of  the  last  year,  seriously  occupied  the  at* 
tention  of  this  corporation.  From  the  report  it  appears  that  the  determina- 
tion of  this  question,  as  far  as  regards  freight,  was  easily  made — but  that 
with  regard  to  passengers  a  greater  difference  of  opinion  prevailed^-owing 
to  a  w^ant  of  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  railroad 
company,  the  reduction  of  farer  proposed  was  not  as  fairly  tested  as  had  been 
intended.  The  results  are,  however,  strikingly  in  favor  of  the  reduced  ratea^ 
From  the  12th  of  April  to  the  1st  of  December  the  fare  for  first  class  through 
passengers  was  reduced  to  two  cents,  and  for  first  class  way  passengers  to 
two  and  a-half  cents  per  mile.  The  fare  for  second  class  passengers  appears 
to  have  been  about  two-thirds  of  this.  The  reduction  of  fare  has  added  most 
to  the  number  of  through  passengers,  and  of  these  the  increase  is  proper- 


140  Annual  Return  of  the  Masiackuutts  Railroads. 

tionaily  greater  for  the  second  class,  the  number  of  which  is  more  thun 
doubled.  The  number  of  first  class  way  passengers  is  but  slightly  increased 
while  that  of  the  second  class  has  gained  much  more. 

The  whole  nett  tonnage  of  the  road  has  increased  a  little  more  than  fifty  . 
per  cent.,  while  the  through  tonnage  has  more  than  doubled.     That  this  in- 
crease of  business  has  not  been  unprofitable,  we  may  judge  from  the  fact 
that  the  number  of  miles  run  by  all  the  engines  has  increased  but  about  11  ^ 
per  cent — 10  per  cent  beii^  the  increase  ibr  the  freight  trains. 

The  report  gives  in  detail  the  measures  which  have  been  taken  to  diminish 
the  expenses  of  the  company — these  are  chiefly  directed  to  the  reduction  of 
salaries,  and  in  some  cases  of  the  number  of  officers  in  the  serriee  of  the 
company.  ""' 

In  comparing  the  expenses  of  1843  with  those  of  the  previous  year,  se- " 
Teral  items  are  to  be  noticedi  as  not  included  ia  former  years,  and,  therefore, 
apparently  adding  to  the  expenditure  of  1843 — among  these  we  notice  $6000 
as  a  settlement  for  the  collision  damages  o[  1841.  A  reference  is  made  to 
the  connection  with  other  railroads — of  these  h  would  seem  that  the  Boston 
and  Worcester  railroad  company  receive  most  profit  from  the  Western  rail- 
road, the  share  of  that  company  from  the  joint  business  for  1843  being  $153,0001 
The  arrangements  at  present  existing  are  thought  to  be  onerous  to  the 
Western  railroad  company,  and  are  about  to  be  revised. 

The  number  of  engines  and  cars  has  been  augmented  to  meet  the  increased 
business  of  the  road.  Fire  locomotive  engines  have  been  added  to  the  stock 
and  three  more  are  ordered. 

The  wood  sheds  are  now  sufficient  for  the  protection  of  upwards  of  20,%^. 
000  cords  of  wood.     The  expenditure  for  this  purpose,  and  for  the  supply 
of  water  for  the  protection  of  the  bridge  over  the  Connecticut  and  other  pro*, 
perty  from  fire,  are  made  in  the  proper  spirit,  and  come  imder  the  good  old 
rule  as  the  "  ounce  of  prevention." 

Another  item  of  expense  of  a  novel  character  is  deserving  of  notice— the 
erection  of  5000  feet  of  fence  to  protect  the  road  bed  from  snow  drifts — ^the 
result  is  stated  to  be  "  highly  satisfactory,"  and  this  mode  of  protection  will 
probably  be  extended.  When  we  find  under  the  head  of  snoto  the  sum  of 
$11,867  45  expense  for  1843,  we  can  easily  imagme  the  necessity  of  some 
defence  against  the  attacks  of  this  enemy. 

■^■^  The  arrangements  of  the  depot  at  Greenbush  are  completed  upon  a  mag*- 
nificent  scale.     By  means  of  steam  power,  goods  are  transshipped  with  a 
difference  of  level  of  over  20  feet  between  the  cars  and  canal  boats.     The 
imiavorable  nature  of  the  site  has  added  to  the  expense  of  this  and  other 
necessary  arrangements  at  the  depot. 

*>  The  Albany  and  West  Rockbridge  railroad  has  been  completed  attht 
cost  of  $1,756,342  7f.  ^. 

<*  la  fine,  we  cannot  but  think  that  this  most  important  work  is  destined  tO| 


xi^r-.-. 


Annual  Return  of  the  Massachusetts  Railroads.  '- 

become  as  profitable  to  its  stockholders  as  it  is  already  beneficial  to  the  pub" 
lic.     It  is  true  there  are  serious  difficulties  to  contend  with — a  mountain 
region  with  severe  grades,  subject  to  obstruction  from  snow  in  winter,  costly  . ' 
depots,  and  heavy  expenditures  at  vajpious  points.     These  are,  however,  fully 
counterballanced  by  the  value  of  the  route  and  the  constant  growth  of  local 
al  well  as  through  traffic.     The  results,  too,  which  have  been  attained,  kre 
for  the  first  two  years,  everything  being  comparatively  new  and  untried.    N»^. 
doubt  a  judicious  economy  and  suitable  regulations  as  to  fare,  together  with? 
an  equitable  arrangement  with  various  connecting  roads,  will  lead  to  a  pros- 
perous condition. 

Berkshire  Railroad. — This  company  has  arranged  matters  so  that  the 
capital,  $250,000,  shall  exactly  meet  the  cost  of  the  road,  depots,  etc.     It  ia 
now  loaned  for  7  per  cent  to  the  Housatonic  railroad  company,  and  no  stay 
tistics  can  consequently  be  furnished  by  the  owners  of  the  road.     The  small 
incidental  expenses  are  met  by  a  fund  appropriated  to  that  purpose. 

Boston  and  Lowell  Railroad. — This  company  in  the  full  tide  of  pros- 
perity has  given  a  very  short  and  rather  meagre  report — at  least  as  far  as 
statistics  are  concerned.  More  than  two-thirds  of  its  revenue  is  derived  from 
traffic,  in  connection  with  the  Boston  and  Maine,  Nashua  and  Lowell  and 
Concord  railroads.  ^^  . 

^  A  dividend  of  8  per  cent,  has  been  paid  out  of  the  profits  of  the  last  year. 
The  sale  of  the  old  iron  has  been  completed,  and  the  entire  cost  of  the  new 
having  been  formerly  charged  to  repairs,  the  diflierence,  together  with  bal- 
lance  of  interest  account,  is  taken  from  the  cost  of  the  road — which  now 
stands  at  $1,863,746  16.  All  calculations  of  annual  expenses,  based  upon 
the  previous  reports  of  this  company,  will  therefore  need  a  large  discount} 
h  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  all  estimates  as  to  the  wear  wai  tear  of  rail-  . 
road  iron  will  need  a  like  alteration. 

Boston  and  Maine  Raihoad. — Since  the  last  report,  this  road  has  been 
so  far  completed  as  to  be  in  use  throughout  its  whole  length ;  the  following 
statistics  will,  therefore,  be  of  interest : 
Amount  expended  in  construction  of  road  in 

Massachusetts,  $431,592  16  oAj^'>' 

^l'-         do.  da  New  Hampshire,      723,058  11 

^  r.         Total,  $1,154,650  28 

Amount  expended  in  engines  and  cars,  93,886  73 

do.        depot  and  other  buildings  in  Mass.,       21,146  78 
do.  do.  New  Hampshire.       17,666  43 

-  •  Total,  38,813  21 

do.         do.         other  miscellaneous  ex- 
penses in  Massachusetts,  45,914  85  ^ 
do.         do.                    New  Hampshire,        45,734  67 

Total,  91,699  58 

?  Total  amount,  $1.384,049~7« 


#fr 


142  Annual  Return  of  the  Massachusetts  Railroads. 

Length  of  road  in  Massachusetts,  S0-3S4  mitesi 

do.  New  Hampshire,  34  954      " 

do.  Great  Falls  branch,  3936     «    -;; 

"S*?^'-—       Total,  58244     »*    k 

Length  of  road  in  side  tracks,  3092     "    4. 

Number  of  planes,  130 — of  which  32  are  level,  67  ascend  and  40desceixl 

from  Wilmington.     By  a  singular  mistake,  the  report  makes  these  grade* 

1000  feet  per  mile,  we  presume  that  ten  feet  is  intended.  x^ 

The  greatest  curvature  is  1050  feet  radius ;  the  average  width  of  grade 

14  feet. 

'"The  manner  in  which  the  superstructure  is  laid  b  as  follows: 
"  The  earth  excavations  and  embankments  are  levelled  off  and  one  and  a  half  feet 
•f  sand,  or  gravel,  is  then  filled  on  to  the  road ;  the  subsills  of  plank  are  then  laid  lon- 
gitudinally, and  the  sleepers  of  chesnut,  cedar  or  hackn»etac  are  takl  transversely,  paorttj 
two  and  one  half  feet,  and  partly  three  feet  apart.  Iron  rails  of  the  T  pattern  are  then 
laid,  supported  at  the  joints  by  cast  iron  chairs,  and  spiked  to  the  sleepers ;  sand  or  gravel 
is  then  filled  in  between  the  sleepers. 

"  The  Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  railroad  is  an  extension  of  the  BoMtmt 
and  Maine  railroad,  through  Berwick  so  as  to  intersect  the  Portland,  Saco  and  Portsmouth 
railroad  at  South  Berwick,  in  Maine,  and  the  Boston  and  Maine  raikoad  have  contracted 
to  pay  the  stockholders  of  the  Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  railroad  compa- 
ny the  same  dividends  per  share  as  is  paid  to  their  own  stockholders.  By  virtue  of  this 
agreement  there  has  been  received  by  the  Boston  and  Maine  railroad  the  funds  of  the 
Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  railroad  company,  not  required  to  construct 
their  road,  and  their  surplus  funds  will,  upon  the  union  of  the  two  corporations,  be  apphed 
to  the  payment  of  the  debt  of  the  Boston  and  Maine  railroad." 

'''  The  above  named  roads  have  likewise  entered  into  a  contract  for  the  mu- 
tual advantage  and  co-operation  of  their  respective  lines. 
*"  Although  this  road  has  not  been  completed  throughout,  and  in  operation 
for  tlj^e  whole  year,  a  dividend  of  6  per  cent,  has  been  declared  on  last  year's 
profits. 

Boston  aiid  Providence  Railroad. — During  the  past  year  18,598  new 
sleepers  have  been  laid,  about  13,000  will  be  required  this  year — the  road 
is  said  to  be  now  in  better  order  than  ibr  several  years  past 
*  The  earnings  on  the  Dedham  branch  are  said  to  be  "  very  satisfactory," 
and  fully  to  compensate  for  running  a  locomotive  engine  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  inhabitants  of  Dedham. 

An  arrangement  has  been  made  with  the  lines  from  New  York,  by  way 
of  Stonington  and  by  way  of  Norwich,  by  which  the  rates  of  fare  for  freight 
and  passengers  for  both  the  lines  are  the  same,  and  the  receipt  equalized, 
except  that  the  line  transporting  an  excess  receives  a  reasonable  compensa- 
tion therefor. 

The  amount  charged  to  the  account  of  construction  has  been  increased 
this  year  by  about  $2000,  but  will  shortly  be  diminished  by  the  sale  of  pro- 
perty worth  over  $15,000.  iWividend  of  6  per  cent,  has  been  paid  for  the 
past  year. 

Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad. — Since  the  last  report  the  second  tmck 
has  been  laid  upon  this  road,  and  to  meet  this  and  other  expenses,  2000 
shares  have  been  created  and  taken  up  proportionally  by  the  stockholders. 
The  capital  is  now  $2,900,000. 


rj:--~'^h^^^if^y^-.  r\^:\:.'r-^-'-r',-,~  :  >i  ■■:-■_  ^'  ■.■    -v  »•■■'.  -  >-*■ 


Cause  of  the  Failure  ef  Caiuils  in  America^ ,  lijb 

The  second  track  is  laid  with  a  heavier  rail  than  the  first,  and  in  a  more  .. 
substantial  manner,  being  therefore  better  adapted  to  the  present  heavy  traffie^^ 
of  the  road. 

;  Two  trains  run  daily,  in  connection  with  the  Western  railroad,  to  and  from 
Albany,  and  one  train  daily  connects  with  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  rail-^- 
road,  forming  a  daily  communication  to  and  from  New  York.  A  perma- 
nent arrangement  has  been  made  with  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  railroad 
company,  by  which  the  joint  transportation  of  passengers  and  merchandize 
over  both  roads  is  regulated  on  terms  said  to  be  "  mutually  advantageous 
and  satisfactory,  and  also  advantageous  to  the  public."  .  'Sf^''  **v 

Beside  the  regular  through  trains,  three  trains  run  daily  in  each  directimt 
between  Houston  and  West  Newton,  affording  accommodation  to  the  vicinity 
of  the  city,  and  relieving  the  regular  trains  of  their  heavy  loads  at  this  end 
of  the  line..  By  these  arrangements  it  will  be  seen  that  forming  impoi^ 
tant  connections,  this  is  preparing  to  meet  the  vast  trade  to  which  it  is  destined 
and  which,  in  a  great  measure,  it  already  receives,    ':i<:^-^fj<>i.:^-:fe:v:':  m":>''':-^' . 

;  (To  be  continned.)  ■  V>> ''*-l^  ■?  ""  ■  l  ' 

Vvt  (it*  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

ON   THE  CAUSES   OF   THE   GENERAL   FAILU&E  OF   CANALS  IN   AMEBICA. ^BT    W. 

E.    CASEY,   CIVIL   ENGINEER.  aC,^  -i  "^ 

^  It  is  obvious  that  some  inherent  defect  must  exist  in  American  canals  gen> 
erally  to  have  brought  about  the  present  deplorable  results.  It  is  true  that 
nearly  all  these  works  have  been  constructed  by  the  governments  of  the  dif> 
ferent  States  and  Provinces  and  under  all  the  well  known  disadvantages  of 
that  system ;  and,  we  might  argue  with  some  reason,  that  in  the  hands  of  pri- 
vate companies  they  would  have  been  more  efficiently  as  well  as  more  cheap- 
ly completed,^wing  to  the  superior  sagacity,  integrity  and  skill  of  the  di- 
rectors and  engineers  of  works  carried  oh  by  private  enterprize.  Thus  it  is 
no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  president,  board  of  directors  and  engineer  at 
the  head  of  a  S^all  private  work,  costing  two  or  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  in  every  respect — character,  skill  and  wealth — incomparably  abovp 
the  government  commissioners,  boards  of  works  and  their  engineers,  en- 
^trusted  with  the  disposal  df  millions.  But  admitting  all  this,  it  would  mep^' 
'  show  that  the^t^t  of  the  works  had  been  too  great,  while  in  practice  we 
find,  that  besides  this  obvious  disadvantage,  they  \sl66t  under  the  still  greater  , 
one  of  having — practically  speaking — no  income,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Che- 
nango canal,  which  has  a  gross  income  of  about  913,000,  on  a  cost  of  2| 
millions.  The  following  extract  from  this  Jourtu/tltSr  1839,  p.  363,  gives 
the  true  solution: 

"  In  some  States,  the  grand  argument  will  be,  that  if  they  can  only  completeike  woiki 
commenced,  a  revenue  is  immediately  certain,  which  will  render  taxation  to  pay  the  inter- 
est anneceasary.  That  the  completion  of  these  projects  will  make  the  fortunes  of  many  ixh- 
dividuals,  is  well  known,  but,  for  the  permanent  interests  of  the  State,  the  only  plan  u,  t» 
sell  out  at  one*  with  the  present  comparatively  trifling  loss.  It  is  impossible  to  pay  too 
much  attention  to  the  feet,  that  the  greater  part  of  the  works  projected  by  the  governments 
of  die  different  States  are  not  such  as  will  ever  be  of  any  essential  benefit,  and  When  w« 
add  to  this  that  they  are  constructed  at  twice  the  cost  of  similar  works  in  the  hands  of  com- 
panies, are  generally  macb  inferior  J,^  ^e94tio!i  and  always  managwl  a^  iqiaired  in  Um 


;^.i^ 


* 


144 '  Cause  of  the  Failure  of  Canals  in  America^  " 

most  inefBcient  manner — we  shall  be  at  no  loss  to  account  for  the  present  condition  of  Stat*      ^ 
works  in  general."     (See  also  Civil  Engineers'  Journal,  vol.  iii,  p.  124 — London.)  t:  ■_, 

The  only  canals  which  now  yield  a  surplus  are  the  Erie  and  Ohio  canals,{v 
owned  by  the  Stales  of  New  York  and  Ohio,  and  the  Delaware  and  Hud- 
son and  Schuylkill  canals,  owned  by  private  companies  in  New  York  and^; 
Pennsylania.*     The  Larkine  canal  in  Canada  was  productive,  but  being 
now  in  the  hands  of  a  "  board  of  works,"  is  not  likelv  to  remain  so  much 
longer.     Its  "enlargement"  has  been  already  commenced.     Volumes  would 
not  convey  to  the  citizens  of  New  York  all  which  that  single  word  con><f 
jures  up.  .5 

iiHad  the  Erie  and  Ohio  canals  been  left  to  their  own  resources  their  stock  •'' 
would  never  have  been  at  par.     The  former  received  six  millions  from  tolls fi' 
during  the  first  four  years  of  its  existence — nearly  its  entire  cost — and  the 
comptroller  shows,  doc.  40,  p.  45,  1844,  that,  charging  and  allowing  inter- 
est, the  balance  is  $4,179,291  46  against  the  canal — omitting,  of  course,  * 
the  enormous  sums  spent  on  the  enlargement.     The  canals  of  Ohio  have 
been,  and  continue  to  be  supported  by  direct  taxation,  and  that  alternative 
has  become  necessary  here  for  a  few  years  at  least.     The  two  private  canals 
above  alluded  to  lead  to  the  anthracite  region  of  Pennsylvania ;  one,  the 
Schuylkill  canal,  ^gLS  made  immense  dividends,  but  the  stock  has  fallen  great- 
ly, and  the  toll  has  been  reduced  to  three  mills  per  ton  per  mile!  the  other 
is  successful.  ■ 

i«The  Erie  canal,  though  conferring  considerable  benefits  on  the  country,'. 
has  also  exerted  a  powerful  influence  in  a  contrary  direction,  and  for  five 
months  of  each  of  the  last  four  years  it  has  been  complained  of — each  suc- 
ceeding year  more  bitterly — as  an  intolerable  nuisance,  injuring  alike  the 
western  producer  and  eastern  consumer  by  its  hideous  monopoly.     Canals 
intended  for  the  coal  trade  are  comparatively  little  afTected  by  the  long  win-- 
ters  of  New  York  and  northern  Pennsylvania ;  but,  canals  drawing  their 
main  income  from  the  country  through  which  they  pass,  and,  still  more  so, 
those  depending  on  the  trade  of  the  lakes,  have  their  usefulness  greatly  im« 
impaired  by  being  closed  during  the  winter  months.     This  objection  is  in- 
superable, becomes  stronger  every  year,  and  wilJ^  in  my  opinion,  prevent  ^ 
the  undertaking  of  any  more  canals  in  the  couniry,  north  of  Philadelphia 
at  least.  ' 

'*  Again,  the  grasping  spirit  in  which  many  canals  have  been  projected  has 
been  ruinous  to  their  prospects  for  any  reasonable  period.  The  enlarged 
Erie  and  the  Brobdignag  canals  of  Canada  were  each  to  bear  to  the  ocean 
the  trade  of  the  west ;  the  Lehigh  and  Schuylkill  canals  were  each  to  fur- 
nish the  avenue  for  the  coal  trade  of  the  country.  But  we  find  the  coal  as 
well  as  the  western  trade  flowing  through  numerous  channels  already,  and 
many  more  will  soon  be  added.  In  England,  canals  are  generally  success*: 
ful,  but  though  doing  an  immense  business  they  are  very  sraalfj  some  of  the 
most  important  having  locks  only  eight  or  ten  feet  wide.     Again,  the  capital 

^*  The  canml  round  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  is  of  course  omitted,     -^^v-    '  •    —  •T-^:-^^rv-*^- 


»• 


■  1  Cause  of  the  Failure  of  Canals  in  America.  146 

invested  in  all  fhe  private  canals  in  the  kingdom  is  only  £5,775,000  sterling, 
about  the  sum  expended  on  canals  in  New  York,  little  more  than  the  cost 
of  the  canals  of  Pennsylvania,  and  about  twice  the  probable  cost  of  the  ca- 
nals of  Canada.  What  a  contrast  between  the  views  of  those  investing  their 
own  money,  and  the  conduct  of  those  who  expend  the  money  of  the  publicl 
Eighteen  millions  of  people,  with  wealth,  industry  and  enterprize  unparalled 
in  the  annals  of  mankind,  expend  in  fifty  or  sixty  years  about  thirty-four 
millions  of  dollars :  six  millions  in  Pennsylvania,  New  York  and  Can- 
ada, with  wealth  comparatively  nominal,  contrive  to  lay  out  about  sixty  mil- 
Ijftns  of  dollars  in  one  fourth  the  time.  The  capacity  of  these  little  English 
canals  is  immense,  their  cost  and  management  comparatively  slight  and  easy. 

A  boat  will  carry  about  30  tons,  and  as  one  of  the  old  single  locks  of  the 
Erie  canal  passes  IIG  boats  in  15  hours,  a  lock  little  more  than  half  the 
width  will  easily  pass  200  boats  per  24  hours,  and  is  abundantly  adequate 
to  the  trade  of  any  canal  likely  to  exist  in  this  country.  The  English  ca* 
nals,  with  a  small  amount  invested  in  their  construction,  accommodate  an 
immense  traffic,  and  are  as  valuable  to  their  proprietors  as  they  are  useful 
and  honorable  to  the  country.  Here  the  reverse  is  generally  the  case.  For 
example,  the  Genesee  valley  canal  will  cost  about  $60,000  per  mile,  the 
cost  of  the  Lowell  railway,  the  best  in  America  ;  the  income  of  the  former 
is  estimated  by  its  friends  at  one-half  of  one  per  cent,  per  annum,  the  actual 
income  of  the  latter  is  15  per  cent.  Again,  one  mile  of  the  Cornwall  canal 
in  Canada  cost  as  much  as  fifteen  miles  of  the  Champlain  and  St.  Lawrence 
railway,  with  cars,  engines,  buildings  and  wharves,  and  it  will  be  fortunate 
if  the  income  from  the  twelve  miles  of  canal  equal  half  the  revenue  of  the 
railway.  The  two  private  railwarj's  are  adapted  to  the  business  of  their  re- 
spective localities;  viewed  in  this  light,  the  two  government  canals  are 
monstrosities  of  the  first  order.  '"1,>1' 

The  Ohio  canal  is  well  worthy  of  the  most  serious  attention.  This  work 
is  above  300  miles  long,  is  without  a  rival,  cost  only  $4,000,000,  traverses 
the  heart  of  a  superb  country  containing  two  millions  of  inhabitants,  and 
connects  the  two  greatest  chains  of  inland  navigation  on  the  face  of  the  globe 
—the  Ohio  with  the  lakes.  Yet  the  gross  income  last  year  was  only  $322,- 
754  82,  yielding,  according  to  the  commissioners,  "  4J  per  cent  on  fhe  cost 
of  the  canal."  Had  not  this  canal  been  constructed  at  the  moderate  cost  of 
$13,000  per  mile,  it  must  have  been  supported  by  taxation,  as  is  now  the 
case  with  the  other  canals  of  that  State,  for  some  of  which  money  has  been 
borrowed  within  a  few  years  at  7  per  cent. !  though  their  sources  of  income 
are  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  Ohio  canal,  which,  in  fact,  ranks  next  to  the 
Erie  canal.  Ten  years'  experience  on  this  canal  demonstrate,  in  a  manner 
admitting  of  no  cavil,  that  the  wealthy  and — for  America — populous  region 
of  Ohio  barely  supports  one  of  the  cheapest,  if  not  the  very  cheapest  canal 
in  the  country.  The  Erie  cnal  has  oeen  a  complete  "  ignis  fatuus",  to  the 
other  States,  having  been  paraded  before  the  country  as  a  work  whidh  had 
cleared  its  prime  cost,  when  in  fact  it  was  in  arears  for  interest.     The  singu- 


""■.♦.'; 


.-  r 


•  I  j 


146 


Cause  of  the  Failure  of  Canals  in  America. 


lar  advantages  of  the  position  of  the  Erie  canal,  its  heavy  grants  and  peculiar 
privileges  render  it  a  dangerou-s,  a  ruinous  precedent.  The  following  ex> 
tract  from  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine  for  August,  1843,  gives  a  general 
view  of  the  causes  which  prevent  the  success  of  canals  in  this  country : 

"  Well  projected  railways  claim  the  favorable  attention  of  the  merchant,  because  they 
offer  safe  and  profitable  investments,  besides  aiding  commerce  generally  by  their  unrivaiied 
facilities.  They  are  peculiarly  ada^ed  to  this  country,  where  the  population  and  busineai 
are  so  scattered,  and  where  capital  is  not  abundant.  Unlike  canals,  the  cost  of  a  railway 
may  be  adapted  to  the  trade.  In  most  parts  of  the  country  a  railway  can  be  put  into  ope> 
ration  for  about  ^20,000  per  mile,  including  engines,  cars,  buildings,  etc.,  for  a  single  track 
— less  than  half  the  average  cost  of  the  Chenango,  Black  river  and  Grenesee  valley  canals, 
without  boats,  buildings,  horses,  etc.  Again,  a  railway  carries  passengers  as  well  as  freight, 
and  both  throughout  the  year ;  so  that,  with  less  than  half  the  cost  of  the  canal,  its  recei|t8 
are  several  times  greater.  It  is  on  this  account  that  canak  must  be  coetructed  as  cheaply 
as  possible,  to  have  any  chance  of  success  here.  Even  in  a  mineral  region — the  most  &• 
vorable  of  all — their  being  useless  half  the  year  is  an  insuperable  objectien ;  and  this  again 
becomes  intolerable  when  advancing  civilization  renders  a  communication,  open  through- 
out the  year,  indispensable  to  the  community.  It  appears,  therefore,  that  three  vital  ob- 
stacles to  the  success  of  canals  exist :  their  enormous  cost,  compared  with  railways,  their, 
small  income,  their  being  closed  nearly  half  the  year  in  this  wintiy  region.  The  two  last 
objections  are  insuperable,  and  will  as  effectnally  deter  individuals  from  embarking  their 
own  means  in  canals  as  would  the  first.  With  politicians,  spending  the  money  of  the 
pubUc,  the  case  is  reversed.  They  uniformly  prefer  those  works  which  require  the  largest 
expenditure  and  the  longest  time  to  execute,  these  two  conditions  furnish  the  best  "  oppor- 
tunities." The  $^,000,000  spent  in  this  State,  on  works  which  can  never  be  required, 
afford  only  too  true  an  illustration ;  but  the  course  of  the  Canadian  government,  for  the 
last  two  years,  distances  the  wildest  visions  of  the  wildest  western  States,  even  during 
the  phrenzy  of  "36.* 

"  The  railways  diverging  firom  Boston  in  all  directions,  which  have  been  projected,  ex> 
ecuted  and  managed  by  companies,  form  the  only  successful  system  of  public  works  on 
this  Continent,  and  would  command  a  large  advance  on  their  total  cost." 

The  railways  of  the  United  States  were  undertaken,  principally  by  indi- 
viduals, after  the  canals,  and  though  nearly  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars 
have  been  invested  in  them,  they  yield  about  five  per  cent  The  railways 
of  England — the  most  extraordinary  wo][ks  the  world  has  yet  seen,  and  ex- 
clusively the  results  of  private  enterprize — have  been  constructed  within  fif- 
teen years,  at  the  enormous  cost  of  £52,000,000,  and  yield  a  fair  return  on 
the  capital.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  their  sources  of  income  differ  ma- 
terially from  those  of  canals — in  other  words,  that,  though  both  may  succeed, 
a  railway  may  flourish  where  a  canal  cannot  exist  For  example,  the  Mid- 
dlesex canal  has  been  abandoned,  and  its  place  supplied  by  the  Lowell  railway. 

The  trade  of  the  canal  between  Liverpool  and  Manchester  has  increased 
since  the  opening  of  the  railway  between  those  points.  When  the  popula- 
tion and  trade  of  this  country  shall  approach  those  of  England,  it  is  not  im- 
possible that  canals  of  reasonable  dimensions,  cheaply  constructed,  may  suc- 
ceed in  some  of  the  more  southern  States. 


*  To  prevent  erroneout  concliuiont,  it  may  be  well  toitate  that  the  resource*  of  a  Britiih  ProviDce 
differ  materiallT  from  tho«e  of  a  State.  The  Cornier  ha*  the  daties  Imperial  a*  well  as  Colonial,  and 
contribntes  nothing  to  the  support  of  army  and  navy ;  it  ha*  al*o  the  pablic  land*.  Hence  Canada, 
as  a  Colony,  bear*  an  expenditure,  which,  a*  a  State,  would  be  entirely  beyond  her  ability.  For  te* 
▼eral  years  no  statements  have  been  published  from  which  the  true  state  of  the  finances  of  the  Pro- 
rince,  and  consqnently  of  the  public  works,  could  be  gleaned.  But  the  remarkable  man  now  at  the 
haad  of  the  eovernment  will  unquestionably  force  from  the  Board  nf  works  somethini:  definite  and 
tangible,  and,  I  wilt  venture  to  predict,  that  a  clear  straightforward  statement  of  the  sums  actually 
•xpended,t  he  probable — not  estimated — amount  required  to  complete  the  works  as  well  as  their  present 
ana  probable  future  income,  will  literally  "  a*toni*n  the  natire*/'  who  will  at  once  wabe  up  from  their 
puerile  discussions  of  colonial  abstractions  to  the  thorough  conTiction  Viat  the  utmost  efforts  of  their 
able  governor,  as  well  as  of  themselves,  will  be  required  to  counteracf,  even  in  a  small  degree,  tlM 
withering  influences  of  a  debt  contracted  for  the  most  visionary  purposes — a  term,  I  fear,  far  too  miM. 
Tkere  is,  of  course,  littla  probability  that  the  works  commenced  will  ever  b«  completco. 


-\'  Cause  of  the  Failure  of  Canals  in  America.  147 

The  public  are  just  beginning  to  appreciate  the  losses  sustained  by  the 

('fire  months'  annual  sleep  of  the  canals,  and  the  papers  from  Boston  to  De- 
troit have,  during  the  past  winter,  teemed  with  invectives  against  the  law  of 

..New  York  which  actually  denies  to  the  farmer  that  which  the  State  of  Ma- 
ryland accords  to  the  slave — the  right  to  send  his  produce  to  market  ia 
any  way  he  pleases — by  turnpike,  railroad  or  steamboat.     But  not  only  do 

;  the  canals  furnish  a  tedious  route  during  a  little  more  than  half  the  year,  but 
that  very  circumstance  tends  to  raise  the  cost  of  that  inferior  accommodation, 

,  for  the  cost  of  maintaining  them  would  be  nearly  the  same  were  they  open 

■throughout  the  year,  and  the  income  would  be  greater ;  the  same  capital  and 
annual  expenditure  would  yield  double  the  income. 

The  advantages  of  the  Erie  canal  in  a  military  point  of  view  have  been 

'.painfully  dwelt  on.  Yet  it  can  never  be  more  than  a  very  humble  auxiliary 
of  the  private  railways  from  Albany  to  Buffalo  during  the  summer  months, 

;  its  opening  being  too  late  and  its  closing  too  early  to  render  it  of  any  value 
at  the  most  important  moments — the  commencing  and  closing  of  a  cam- 
paign. More  than  this,  these  very  works  have  been  built  in  spite  of  rfie 
canal  interest  which  is  still  an  incubus  on  the  spirit  of  honest  enterprize. 

.Again,  the  Rideau  canal  is  a  truly  military  work,  yet  a  railway  from 
Montreal  to  Kingston,  at  a  cost  of  four  millions  of  dollars,  would,  in  the 
event  of  war,  save  more  than  this  sum  annually,  and  would  render  that  por- 
tion of  the  province  impregnable  to  any  force  likely  to  be  brought  against  it 
It  would  also  clear  expenses,  and  three  or  four  per  cent,  even  now.  So  with 
regard  to  Buffalo,  a  force  overwhelming  from  .its  numbers  could  be  collected 
there  in  a  few  days.  During  the  late  insurrections  in  Canada  the  £40,000 
sterling,  invested  by  a  few  individuals  in  the  Champiain  and  St.  Lawrence 
railway,  contributed  materially  to  the  defence  of  the  province,  while  the  mil- 
lions spent  on  the  Imperial  and  Colonial  canals  were  absolutely  useless.  In 
case  of  a  protracted  contest  the  canals  would  of  course  come  into  play  to 
some  extent.  ^" 

The  main  "  causes  of  the  general  failure  of  the  canals"  of  this  country 
may  be  ascribed  to  their  being  closed  nearly  half  the  year ;  to  the  small 
amount  of  business  their  peculiar  accommodation  enables  them  to  command 
in  a  thinly  settled  country  ;  to  their  low  rate  of  speed,  and  to  their — with 
few  exceptions — great  cost.  Whether  these  objections  are  likely  to  be  over- 
come to  any  extent  worthy  of  notice,  the  reader  must  decide  for  himseLC 
For  my  own  part,  I  doubt  whether  the  canals,  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the 
Mississippi  will,  ten  years  hence,  have  yielded  one  per  cent  on  the  capital 
invested  in  their  constrtiction  ;  and.  omitting  the  Erie,  Ohio  and  the  two  pri- 
vate canals  referred  to  above,  I  do  not  believe  the  others  will,  during  that 
time,  clear  repairs  and  renewals :  in  other  words,  that  their  fiiilure  will  be 
complete  and  will  in  some  cases  lead  to  their  abandonment.  j» 

Since  the  above  was  written,  I  have  seen  the  report  of  the  canal  committee 
to  the  senate,  doc.  98,  1844,  which,  with  that  devotion  to  principle,  so  pro- 
minent a  trait  in  the  American  politician,  according  to  de  Tocqueville,  is 


H6  ^v  EdUoriaL 

▼ery  severe  on  those  projects  which  have  become  decidedly  unpopular — the 
lateral  canals  and  the  enlargement — but  says  not  a  word  of  a  vastly  greatet 
evil,  the  canal  monopoly.  The  arguments  against  any  further  expenditures 
are  part  of  those  used  by  others,  myself  among  the  rest,  some  years  since, 
when  twenty  of  the  present  debt  of  twenty-eight  millions  might  have  been 
saved.  There  is,  however,  a  good  illustration  on  page  15,  where,  speaking 
of  the  Chenango  canal,  it  is  said — "  Thus  it  is  seen,  it  would  have  been 
cheaper  for  the  State  to  have  made  a  road  and  hired  teamsters  at  expensive 
rates  to  transport  the  produce  of  that  country  in  ordinary  wagons ;  and  the 
community  would  have  had  the  free  use  of  the  road  for  common  pur* 
poses." 

I  made  a  similar  calculation  some  years  since.  The  expenses  and  interest 
on  the  cost  of  the  Cornwall  canal,  twelve  mil^s  long,  will  be  $8,000  per 
mile,  and  we  will  assume  that  it  will  clear  $1,000  per  mile  per  annum  be- 
sides paying  repairs  and  renewals— of  which  there  is  little  probability. 
Then  two  years'  interest  or  $16,000  per  mile,  will  build  and  equip  a  good 
railway,  and  three  months'  interest,  or  $2,000  per  mile  will  clear  all  the 
expenses  of  several  times  the  total  down  as  well  as  up-freight  of  the  St.  Law* 
rence,  and  of  ten  times  the  present  number  of  passengers.  In  other  words, 
the  entire  trade  and  travel  in  both  directions  would  be  free,  and  the  province 
would  save  $5,000  per  mile  per  annum,  or  $60,000  on  twelve  miles  of  canal. 
The  interest  on  the  actual  cost  of  the  Cornwall  canal,  and  on  the  estimated 
cost  of  the  short  canals  round  the  rapids  above,  would  pay  all  the  expenses 
of  a  continuous  railway  carrying  more  freight  and  passengers  than  will 
probably  be  found  on  that  route  twenty  years  hence :  that  is,  the  mere  inter- 
est on  the  cost  of  the  canals  would  pay  for  free  travel  and  transportation  on 
a  railway. 

"  Now  it  IB  obvious,  that  such  men  aa  Brunei,  Stephenson,  Walker,  and  a  host  of  othen 
in  England,  and  we  are  proud  to  say,  not  a  few  in  this  country,  whom  we  do  not  fieel 
ourselves  at  liberty  to  name,  are  found  utterly  imprajcticable  in  such  cases,  and  they  are 


consequently  avoided  with  as  much  care  by  the  projectors  of  works  to  be  built  on  the  ere* 

jht  for  by  those  who  pr 
be  executed  by  the  expenditure  of  their  own  actual  capital.     The  evil  of  employing  men 


dit  of  the  government,  as  they  are  zealously  sought  for  by  those  who  project  works  to 


incompetent  from  want  of  education,  practice  and  character  eventually  recoils  on  the  State; 
hence  the  financial  difficulties  of  all  the  States  who  have  largely  embarked  in  the  con* 
■truction  of  public  woriu."  (Railroad  Joomal,  1839,  p.  354.  C.  EL  &  A.  Journal,  vd. 
iii,  p.  122 — London.) 

New  York,  May,  1844."  ,^ 


•*  Two  schooners  arrived  at  Oswego  on  the  9th,  from  Toledo,  via  the  "Welland  canal, 
with  11,000  bushels  of  wheat,  to  Carrington  and  Pardee,  millers  there,  who,  we  dare  say, 
will  have  it  made  into  flour,  and  ready  tor  this  market  before  the  canals  are  open."  (]NL 
Y.  Journal  of  Commerce.) 

Many  of  our  readers  will  remember  an  article  on  the  "  Spring  Trade," 
written  by  Mr.  Casey  for  this  Journal,  April,  1842,  in  which  he  shows  the 
great  superiority  of  the  route  via  the  Welland  canal  for  early  freight ;  and 
here  we  have  cargoes  landed  at  Oswego  long  before  the  opening  of  the  Erie 
canal  at  Buflfalo.  The  Welland  canal  was  opened  on  the  2nd  April,  and 
merchandize  from  New  York  and  Boston  would  have  been  "afloat  on 
lake  Erie,"  and  <'if  the  people  were  allowed  to  choose  the  mode  of  transpor- 


■■.■V?" 


'  •  Cost,<(jf,.TTansportation  on  Railroads.  149 

tatloD  according  to  their  own  ideas  of  their  own  interest." — Journal,  -^P^ 
1842,  p.  246 — goods  would  have  been  landed  at  Detroit  and  Chicago  a 
month  earlier  than  they  will  be  via  the  Erie  canal. 

i  In  his  article  on  the  "  Canals  of  Canada," — Journal,  Nov.,  1842,  p.  158 — 
Mr.  Casey  expresses  his  belief  that  the  Welland  canal  "  will  eventually  cease 
to  be  a  burden  on  the  provuice."  Without  offering  any  opinion  as  to  the 
time  when  this  is  to  take  place,  which  Mr,  Casey  considers  tolerably  dis- 
tant— very  safely,  too,  according  to  our  viev^ — we  propose,  after  his  exam- 
ple, and  that  of  the  canal  commissioners,  to  make  a  calculation  also.  This 
canal  is  tslimaUd  at  above  $100,000  per  mile,  and  is  about  40  miles  long. 
Total  cost  $4,000,000 !  One  million  of  dollars  will  construct  and  fumisii 
a  first  rate  single  track,  and  the  interest  of  the  remaining  three  millions  will 
pay  all  the  cost  of  carrying  300,000  tons  of  down  freight,  and  100,000  tons 
of  up  freight.  We  do  not  know  the  tonnage  of  that  canal,  but  think  it  will 
scarcely  exceed  our  estimate  for  some  time  to  come.  However  useful  this 
work  may  be  to  New  York  and  some  of  the  Avestern  States,  we  see  little 
probability  of  its  becoming  what  Mr.  C.  calls  a  "  successful  work,"  a  term 
which  ought  to  be  applied  to  no  work  which  does  not  yield  a  fair  revenue 
to  its  proprietors,  as  well  as  contribute  to  the  accommodation  of  the  public. 

1  COST   OF   TEANSPORTATION   ON   RAILEOADS,  i 

The  statement  marked  C,  accompanying  the  "reply,"  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad  company  w^as  intentionally  omitted ;  it  being  only  designed 
to  show  how  the  increase  in  the  coal  trade  may  be  provided  for  out  of  the  pro- 
fits arising  from  that  branch  of  business ;  but  the  following  estimate  of  the 
cost  of  transporting  coal  from  the  mines  to  Baltimore,  a  distance  of  188  miles 
should  have  been  given  in  its  proper  place  following  estimate  B.  It  will 
not,  however,  we  trust,  be  overlooked  by  our  readers,  even  thus  detached,  as 
it  gives  a  concise,  yet  clear  statement  of  the  cost  at  which  heavy  freights 
may  be  transported  over  railroads,  with  grades  even  greater  tharf  were,  a 
few  years  ago,  deemed  passable  by  locomotive  power. 

These  replies  ought  to  be  extensively  circulated  by  the  friends  of  railroa^ 
and  more  especially  in  this  city,  at  this  time,  when  an  appeal — not  the  lastj 
however,  even  if  unsucctssftd — is  about  to  be  made  in  behalf  of  the  New 
York  and  Erie  Railroad — a  work  from  the  completion  of  which  every 
property  holder — every  business  man — every  carman  and  every  day  laborer 
has  a  <ii»ectand  deep  pecuniary  interest ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  important  that 
they  should  be  able  to  appreciate  the  capacity,  the  facilities  and  the  economy 
of  railroads,  when  judiciously  located  between  important  points.  And  can 
a  more  favorable  or  judicious  location  be  found  than  between  the  city  of  New 
York,  on  the  one  hand,  and  lake  Erie,  on  the  other?  or  between  the  Allan- 
tic  ocean  and  the  far  and  boundless  west  ? 

We  have  not  a  doubt  but  that  the  means  to  complete  this  road  could  be 
readily  obtained  in  this  city  alone,  and  without  delay,  if  our  enterprizing 
Boston  friends  would  favor  us  with  the  loan  of  their  noble  "  Western  rail- 
road" for  a  few  weefiis,  that  our  cautious  citizens  could  see  and  feel  its  ope- 


IBO    '  ■*■  iV«r  YbrJfc  and  Em  Railroad.    ^ 

rations  and  its  influences — or,  indeed,  if  the  facts,  contained  in  this  one  num- 
ber of  the  Journal  alone,  could  be  generally  read  and  duly  appreciated  by 
all,  the  entire  amount  required  would  be  forthcoming,  and  the  work  would 
be  completed  in  less  than  three  years — as  we  confidently  predict  that  it  will 

be  in  less  than  five.  * 

[  D  ] 

Estimated  cost  of  transportinscoal  from  the  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Frost- 

.  burg  to  Baltimore,  distanctHS8  miles — supposing  the  use  of  locomotive 

':'    engines  of  20  tons  weight,  and  of  sufficient  power  to  carry  25  cars  con- 

*'   taining  7  ions  each,  or  175  tons  to  the  train — three  locomotives  being  re- 

'■:   quired  to  do  the  work  of  two,  300  working  days  during  the  year,  and 

that  equivalent  to  four  days  will  be  required  to  make  the  round  trip. 

Interest  on  6  locomotives  and  lenders  at  $10,000  each  per  round  trip  of  4  davs,  $13  00 
Repairs  and  renewals  of  locomotives  and  tenders  at  9  cents  per  Hide,  run  376 

miles  per  round  trip,             -            -            -            -            -            -            -  3384 

Fuel  per  round  trip,  15  tons  at  $2  per  ton,  averajjed  Harper's  Ferry,       -  30  00 

Oil  for  enarine  and  tender  per  round  trip,  6  gallons  at  00  cents  per  gallon,      -  5  40 

Wages  of  cnginemen  and  firemen,            -            -            -            -            -  1400 

Wages  of  breakmen,                -            -             -             -             -             -             -  900 

Interest  per  round  trip  on  200  cars  at  S380  each,  ...  15  20 
Repairs  and  renewals  of  cars  at  1-4  of  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile  of  load  hauled, 

(32,900  tons  per  mile,) 82  85 

Grease  for  cars,            ....            -        .   7.  ..    v^*            "  600 

Add  for  use  of  auxiliary  engine  at  Parr's  Ridge,              «*^.*.<;;•'"<ii•^         .  12  60 

And  we  have  as  the  total  amount  of  the  round  trip,         ;:.is*'^j;  ..<•.•;     •  •<,  $220  29 

Being  at  the  rate  per  ton  per  mile  of        -  -  -      '      -  •  0-670  cts. 

To  which  add  for  wear  and  tear  of  railway  at  1-4  of  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile 
,    west  of  Harper's  Ferry,    and  45-100  of  a  cent  per   ton  per  mile  east  of 

-*->  Harper's  Ferry,  averaging  on  the  whole  distance,  ...  0337  " 

And  for  contingencies,       ....---  0100  " 

Making  the  total  cost  per  ton  per  mile,        .....       1-107  " 

At  1  1-2  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  and  10  cents  extra  charge  for  transportation 
through  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  the  charge  for  conveying  a  ton  of  coal 
from  the  mines  to  the  city  block  in  Baltimore  would  be  -  -  S3  93 

And  the  annual  nett  revenue  of  the  company  on  the  amount  of  trade  as- 
sumed in  this  estimate         ......  $38,789  10 

At  1  1-3  cent  per  ton  per  mile  and  10  cents  extra,  as  in  the  former  case  for 
conveyance  through  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  the  charge  for  transporting 
a  ton  oT  coal  from  the  mines  near  Frostburg  to  the  city  block  in  Balti- 
more, would  be-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  61 

And  the  annual  nett  revenue  of  the  company  on  the  same  amount  of  trade,  $22,306  20 
•The  amount  of  investment  in  machinery  to  accommodate  the  trade  above 

assumed  would  be,         •.-..-.     $136,000  00 
..;  Respectfully  submitted,  » 

'^  James  Mcrhav,  EIn«nneer  of  machinery  and  repairs. 

\   February  I3th,  1844. 

I  have  carefully  examined  the  preceding  estimates  and  have  confidence  in  their  tut- 
fidency  for  the  purposes  intended  Benj.  H.  Latrobc,  Chief  Engineer. 

"^  NEW   YORK   AND   ERIE   RAILROAD. 

The  time  has  arrived  for  every  man,  who  desires  the  completion  of  thif 
great  work,  to  put  his  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  or  take  a  pick  axe  and  shovel 
and  go  to  work  in  earnest  Annexed  will  be  found  the  candid,  manly,  arvl 
earnest  appeal  of  the  company  to  the  citizens  of  New  York  individually, 
for  aid  in  its  completion.  In  giving  place  to  this  appeal,  we  cannot  with- 
)iold  the  expression  of  our  surprise  that  a  work  of  such  vast  importance  to 
this  city  should  be  looked  upon  with  so  much  apathy  and  distrust  by  its  citi- 
zens ;  and  its  friends  be  compelled  to  solicit,  and  urge  those  who  are  to  b« 


■\r 


r,    •  *   ■;}.  New  York  arid  Erie  Railroad^  , .[ ' 

so  largely  and  so  permanently  benefited  by  its  completion,  to  contribute  th« 
means  for  its  construction ;  nor  refrain  from  earnestly  urging  those  who  cau 
possibly  do  so,  to  come  forward  and  subscribe  for  stock,  at  least  a  few  shares, 
if  they  cannot  for  many.     Every  owner  of  real  estate — every  merchantf 
t    manufacturer,  mechanic  and  carman,*and  even  many  day  laborers  will  pro* 
mote  their  own  permanent  interest  by  taking  one  or  more  shares,  and  thus 
aid  its  early  completion,  even  if  he  neveir  receives  a  penny  in  the  way  of 
dividends.     Its  completion  will  benefit  Ne#i  York  as  much  or  more  than 
the  construction  of  the  Erie  canal  did.     Its  influences  will  be  more  univer-., 
sal,  as  every  poor  family,  using  only  a  quart  of  milk  daily,  will  save  ttoo 
cents  at  least  each  day — or  97  30  a  year ;  and  at  the  same  time  obtain  a 
better  article.     And  so  with  butter,  and  many  other  articles  of  necessity  and ' 
comfort — ^the  prices  will  be  materially  reduced  in  consequence  of  the  in-, 
creased  facilities  for  bringing  them  to  the  city.     The  saving  to  the  inhabv- 
tants  of  this  city  alone,  upon  the  necessaries  of  life  cannot  be  less,  when  the 
road  shall  be  completed,  than  AaZ/ a  mi/Zton  of  dollars  a  year.     This,  how- 
ever, is  but  one  item  in  the  list  of  benefits  which  will  surely  result  from  its 
early  construction.     Others,  equally  important,  will  follow,  in. the  increased 
value  of  property  in  the  city,  and  along  its  line,  to  the  amount  certainly — 
by  the  time  the  first  car  shall  pass  from  the  Hudson  to  lake  Erie — of  itoiee 
the  entire  cost  of  the  road.     Is  it  not  the  duty,  then,  of  those  who  are  thus 
to  be  benefited,  to  respond  promptly  to  the  call  of  the  company,  by  subscrilh 
ing  for  such  an  amount  of  stock  as  they  may  be  able  to  pay  for,  without  in- 
terfering with  other  business  arrangements  ?     We  think  it  is,  and  believing 
so,  shall  act  accordingly,  and  charge  the  JouriuU  with  at  least  «me  sharCi 
and  more  if  we  can  do  so.     Let  others  go  and  do  liketoise. 

▲DDKESS   TO   THE   PUBLIC,   OF   THE   NEW    YORK   AND   ERIE  RAILROAD   COMPANT..- 

Office  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad  Co.  \ ' 
New  York,  Wth  April,  1844.  ', 

The  common  council  have  declared  by  resolution  that  it  is  not  expedient 
that  the  city  of  New  York  should  subscribe  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  New 
York  and  Erie  railroad  company,  and  having  declined  to  unite  in  the  appli- 
cation to  the  legislature,  the  directors  are  under  the  necessity  of  opening  the 
books  for  private  subscription  without  the  important  aid  which  the  corpora- 
tion of  the  city  would  have  afiforded. 

With  their  convictions  as  to  the  importance  of  the  road,  the  amount  of 
capital  required,  and  the  principles  on  which  alone  the  board  were  willing 
to  undertake  its  completion,  they  coukl  not  consistently  decline  to  bring  for- 
ward the  question  of  a  city  subscription.  At  the  same  time  it  was  felt  that 
the  great  responsibility  involved  in  the  decision  of  that  question  should  not 
rest  with  them  even  indirectly,  but  belong  either  to  the  common  council,  the 
legislature,  or  the  people. 

By  the  course  pursued,  the  question  could  not  reach  the  people  without 
the  sanction  of  the  common  council,  and  the  authority  of  the  legislature. 
That  sanction  having  been  refused,  the  application  to  the  legislature  will  not 
be  made ;  and  the  completion  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  now  de- 
pends entirely  upon  the  amount  that  can  be  obtained  by  private  subscription. 

Before  determining  the  conditions,^  on  which  books  of  subscription  to  the 


1^  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad. 

capital  stock  are  to  he  opened,  the  board  have  again  had  under  consideration 
the  position  assumed  in  their  report,  that  six  millions  of  dollars  are  necessary 
before  the  work  should  be  resumed. 

After  much  deliberation,  the  board  continued  of  the  opinion  that  the  con- 
ditions of  the  subscription  should  require  that  the  amount  to  be  subscribed 
before  the  resumption  of  the  work,  sho&ld  be  such  as  would  place  the  comple- 
tion of  the  road  beyond  ordinary  contingencies ;  and  they  cannot  satisfy  them- 
selves that  a  smaller  sum  than  six  millions  will  comply  with  this  condition. 

The  board  have  not  overlook"d  the  important  considerations  which  induce 
many  to  believe  that  a  smaller  sum  in  connection  with  the  other  resources 
of  the  company  would  be  adequate ;  but  those  considerations,  in  their  opinion, 
are  not  sufficient  to  remove  all  reasonable  doubt ;  and  no  other  basis  would 
be  consistent  with  the  views  of  the  board,  the  responsibilities  of  their  position, 
and  the  principles  on  which  they  consented  to  undertake  them.  .^ 

In  their  anxiety  to  remove  every  circumstance  which  may  have  an  unfa- 
vorable influence  on  new  subscriptions,  the  board  have  been  constrained  to 
discriminate  between  old  and  new  stock,  and  that  this  may  be  effected  with- 
out permanent  injury,  if  any,  to  the  interests  of  old  stockholders,  it  has  bee» 
done  in  the  manner  stipulated  in  the  conditions  of  subscription.  *^ 

,  The  priority  of  dividend  thus  to  be  secured  to  the  new  stock  is  made  de- 
pendent on  the  action  of  individual  holders  of  stock  already  issued,  in  con- 
se<fuence  of  the  legal  opinion  that  neither  th^  board  of  directors  nor  the 
stockholders  legally  convened,  possess  the  power  to  make  any  distinction  be- 
tween stocks  issued  at  different  periods. 

In  accordance  with  these  views,  the  following  are  the  conditions  under 
which  the  subscription  books  are  to  be  opened. 

"We,  the  undi^rsicjned,  respectively  subs'ribe  for  the  number  of  shares 
of  the  capital  stock  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  company,  of  one 
hundred  dollars  each,  set  opposite  our  names,  and  hereby  agree  to  pay  ten 
dollars  on  each  share  within  twenty  days  after  the  closing  of  the  books,  and 
the  subsequent  instalments  as  they  shall  be  legally  called  for,  provided, 

1st.  "  That  bona  fide  subscriptions  subsequent  to  1st  of  March,  and  prior 
to  1st  of  August,  1844,  shall  amount  to  the  sum  of  six  millions  of  dollars. 

3d.  "  That  the  instalments  shall  not  exceed  thirty-three  and  one-third  per 
cent  per  annum. 

'i'3d.  "  That  by  the  individual  acts  of  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  amount 
of  stock  issued  prior  to  the  1st  of  March,  1844,  it  shall  be  legally  established, 
that  dividends  when  made  shall  be  declared  on  the  following  basis: 

1st.  "  That  the  right  of  dividends  on  at  least  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the 
old  stock  shall  be  deferred  until  a  dividend  of  six  per  cent,  shall  be  declared 
on  the  new  stock. 

8d.  "  That  when  the  nett  earnings  shall  exceed  the  amount  necessary  to 
pay  such  dividend  to  the  new  stock  the  excess  shall  be  appropriated  to  divi- 
dends on  the  old  stock. 

3d.  "  That  when  dividends  so  declared  on  old  stock  amount  to  six  per  cent 
per  annum,  the  old  and  new  stock  shall  be  put  on  a  par,  and  all  distinction 
between  them  shall  thereafter  cease." 

The  board  have  the  satisfaction  of  believing  that  the  great  question  of  the 
completion  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  is  now  before  the  citizens 
of  New  York,  and  of  the  counties  interested  in  its  construction,  freed  of  all 
extraneous  considerations  ;  that  public  attention  has  been  fully  drawn  to  the 
sabject,  and  that  there  prevails  tnroughout  the  community  an  appreciation 
of  the  importance  of  the  road,  and  a  confidence  in  its  success  when  complet- 
ed to  lake  Erie,  that  are  of  the  most  encouraging  character. 


■4h 


■nr 


Schuylkill  Navigation. 


itBS 


The  board  will  adopt  all  suitable  measures  to  obtain  the  very  general  ac- 
don  on  this  subject,  which  the  large  amount  to  be  raised  renders  necessary, 
and  trust  that  their  efforts  will  be  efficiently  seconded  by  all  who  unite  with, 
them  in  opinion  that  the  completion  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad, 
while  It  affords  every  prospect  of  remunerating  dividends  to  stockholders, 
will  be  of  great  and  permanent  benefit  to  the  city  and  country.  , 

Horatio  Allen,  President. 
•  •%^^;-,v Oi^  James  Brown,   Vice  President. 

C.  lit.  Leupp,       Harvey  Weed, 
A.  G,  Phelps,      Theo.  Dehon, 
John  C.  Green,    Wm.  Maxwell, 
Elijah  Risley. 


D.  A.  Cushman, 
Silas  Brown, 
P.  Spoffbrd, 


F.  W.  Edmonds, 
Matthew  Morgan. 
A.  S.  Diven, 


-,•,■?>. 


For  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics' Magazine.  ,      f:  ■ 

I  SCHUYLKILL   NAVIGATION.  v   „ 

Failurs  of  Railways. — It  is  still  maintained  by  a  correspondent  of  the 
Journal,  "  X,"  that  it  is  very  impolitic  to  graduate  the  capacity  of  a  railway 
or  canal  with  any  reference  to  the  trade  which  it  is  intended  to  accommodate ; 
or,  as  he  characteristically  describes  the  principle,  to  measure  the  probable 
tonnage,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  capacity  of  the  railroad  which 
is  to  convey  it,  as  you  would  individuals  for  their  clothes — varying  the  size 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  case.  He  proposes,  as  the  true  principle  of 
tailoring,  to  put  a  man's  suit  on  a  boy,  and  a  woman's  dress  on  a  baby ;  and 
calls  up  the  Schuylkill  navigation  in  illustration  of  the  soundness  of  hit 
views. 

The  example  will  be  found  to  be  very  unfortunately  selected,  for  the  ob- 
ject  at  which  this  writer  seems  to  be  aiming. 

The  Schuylkill  navigation  was  constructed  between  the  years  1815  and 
1825 ;  and  we  believe  has  been  prosecuted  on  those  common  sense  principles 
which  have  been  recommended  by  Mr.  EUet  for  the  construction  of  rail- 
ways. It  was  made  at  first  on  a  small  scale — because  the  trade  was  expected 
to  be  small  at  first — and  with  a  view  to  its  gradual  enlargement — because 
the  trade  was  expected  to  increase. 

In  1826  the  depth  of  water  was  but  three  feet,  and  barely  adequate  to  the 
passage  of  boats  of  25  tons  burden.  The  purpose  of  its  projectors  was  fully 
answered.  The  canal  soon  created  a  trade,  and  that  trade  increased  suffi- 
ciently to  justify  the  anticipated  enlargement  of  the  channel.  From  year  to 
year  the  capacity  of  the  work  has  been  augmented,  until  it  oow  permits  the 
ready  passage  of  boats  of  60  tons  burden,  while  occasionally  more  than  70 
tons  have  been  carried  upon  it 

The  Schuylkill  navigation  company  have  expended  in  the  construction 
and  enlargement  of  this  canal  the  sum  of  $3,456,620. 
Their  aggregate  receipts  from  tolls  on  coal,  and  other  articles, 

up  to  January  1st,  1844,  have  amounted  to        -  .     $5,641,256 

Their  aggregate  expenses  have  been  -  -  1,768,792 

Leaving  a  neU  profit  of  -  -  -     $3,872,463 

or  $415,843  more  than  the  whole  cost  of  the  toork  and  its  enlargement. 


% 


154  Schuylkill  ffavigatton. 

Now,  these  results  are  pretty  fair,  and  certainly  do  not,  of  themselres, 
authorize  a  condemnatioa  of  the  present  course  which  the  managers  of  thit 
work  have  adopted. 

But  the  Heading  railroad  company,  it  is  contended  by  "  X,"  have  adopted 
a  diflerent  plan — that  of  making  a  very  expensive  road  at  the  o«tset  Let 
us  see  how  their  method  works. 

The  Reading  railroad  is  now  new,  and,  together  with  all  its  machhuery, 
ought  to  be  in  perfect  order.     It  was  in  full  operation  last  year,  and  carried 
about  230,000  tons  of  freight,  and  some  26,00<j  passengers. 
The  company  expended  during  the  year,  -  •        $1,800,000 

And  received  for  freight  and  passengers,      •  •  -     385,000  ' 

And  exhibited,  at  the  close  of  the  year,  an  excess  of  expenses 
beyond  their  receipts  of  -  -  -  $1,415,000 

Of  this  sum  just  $212,000  was  expended  for  new  cars  and  engines,  and 

about  $90,000  for  new  work  on  the  road.     The  balance  of  about  $1,100,000 

— of  the  sum  by  which  the  expenses  exceed  the  receipts — appears  to  have 

'  been  consumed  in  conveying  these  230,000  tons  of  coal.     At  any  rate,  no 

other  explanation  of  its  disappearance  has  ever  been  offered. 

Our  friend  "  X "  speaks  with  some  severity  of  certain  slanders  against 
the  Reading  railroad,  which,  he  says,  have  appeared  in  the  Philadelphia 
newspapers ;  and  charges  us  with  wishing  to  give  them  greater  circulation. 
We  are  sorry  to  learn  that  this  company  has  been  slandered  by  any  body ; 
and  we  do  assure  him  that  if  they  have  suffered  in  that  way,  we  have  had 
no  part  in  it,  and  have  never  before  heard  of  the  circumstance.  It  is  true,  • 
V.  we  have  read  some  very  severe  and  scourging  strictures  on  the  conduct  of 
the  institution,  in  the  columns  of  the  "  Pennsylvanian,"  "  Ledger,"  and 
"  North  American" — but  we  always  supposed  that  they  were  true.  Cer- 
tainly, nobody  in  Philadelphia  doubts  their  truth,  nor  has  any  person  yet 
ventured  to  come  forward  and  attempt  to  disprove  them. 

But  "X"  is  chivalric,  aad  we  shall  look  to  him  to  tell  us,  specifically, 
>  what  the  Reading  railroad  company  did  with  the  $1,800,000  which  they 
spent  last  year. 

For  ourselves,  we  wish  not  to  injure  this  company,  but  we  wish  to  make 
the  truth  known  ;  and  we  supposed  when  we  exhibited  the  strong  compari* 
son  drawn  by  "X"  himself,  in  the  strongest  possible  light,  we  were  doing 
good  service  to  his  hobby.  This,  it  will  be  recollected,  is  his  language. 
'■'■  "  Still  another  comparison  may  be  made  between  the  Schuylkill  canal 
which  cost  $38,000  per  mile,  without  boats,  and  the  Philadelphia  and  Potts- 
ville  railroad,  which  costs  $50,000  per  mile,  with  cars  and  motive  power." 
•*  Is  it  not,"  says  X,  triumphantly,  "  is  it  not  this  additional  cost  whicA 
makes  it  the  superior  and  cheaper  work  of  the  two .'" 

Now,  I  say,  the  great  merit  of  this  road  was,  in  the  opinion  of  "X,**  its 

- -great  first  cost ;  and  I  was  justified  in  supposing  that  I  was  giving  most  grar 

lifying  information,  when  I  informed  him  that  it  had,  on  the  18ih  December 

last,  increased  this  merit  to  $76,000  per  mile.     What  its  merits  will  amount 


'^ 


. ., ;  '  Evlogium  on  Engineers. — Ohio  Canal. 

to  at  the  end  of  this  year,  it  is  not  easy  to  say — ^but  it  is  probable  that  it  will 
exceed  $100,000  per  mile — and  I  congratulate  "X"  on  the  proof  which 
••this  fact  furnishes  of  the  great  success  which  is  in  store  for  this  great  enter- 
prize.  Y.   . 

EUIiOGIUM   ON   ENGINEERS.  ;  !  i. 

The  last  number  of  "  The  Westminister  Review"  contains  a  fCTy  able 
article  on  the  "  Progress  of  Art,"  in  which  the  writer  complains  of  the  want 
of  originality  among  the  architects  of  the  present  day,  though  he  at  the  same 
time  does  justice  to  their  merits.  He  points  out  several  radical  defects  in  the 
new  houses  of  parliament,  but  intimates  a  doubt  whether  any  other  architect 
would  have  done  better,  evidently  considering  the  profession  in  too  low  a 
'  ftate  to  undertake  works  of  the  first  order.     He  says, 

"  It  hkB  been  lucky  for  us  that  the  ancients  have  left  us  fewer  examines  of  their  engi- 
neering works  than  productions  of  their  architects.  Our  mcdisval  ancestors  indulged  but 
rarely  m  roads  or  bridges,  and  besides  this,  the  exigencies  of  locality,  and  above  all  the  ex- 
igencies of  estimates,  which  are  usually  carefully  looked  at  in  the  utilitarian  works  execo- 
\eA  by  our  engineers,  have  allowed  them  less  temptation  to  copy,  and  less  means  of  doing 
■o  than  their  brother  builders,  and  the  consequence  is  that  they  may  challenge  Rome,  or 
the  whole  world  to  match  either  the  magnificence  or  the  taste  of  our  public  works.  It  is 
true  we  possess  some  '  truly  Roman  works,'  the  taste  of  which  is  very  questionable ;  and 
boUi  Blackfriars  and  Waterloo  bridges  narrowly  escaped  being  spoilt  by  the  interference  of 
the  architects,  who  fortunately,  however,  have  left  nothing  to  niark  their  presence  but  the 
.  absurd  Ionic,  and  the  Grecian  Doric  columns  that  stand  on  the  piers — in  the  one  case  sup- 
porting an  enormously  heavy  granite  parapet,  and  in  the  other  in  company  with  a  moat 
incongruous  Roman  balustrade.  But  since  those  days  the  engineering  interest  has  ac- 
quired a  predominance  which  enables  it  to  walk  alone ;  and  in  London  bridge  they  have 
produced  a  sjpecimen  of  bridge  building,  perfect  in  all  its  parts,  and  as  yet  unnvalled  in  the 
world,  and  this  simply  because  there  is  not  one  detail  copied  from  any  other  bridge,  not  one 
ornament  ap{rfied  that  had  not  a  meaning,  nor  one  thing  added  that  was  not  seen  to  be 
wanted  by  the  sound  sense  and  mechanicaJ  knowledge  of  its  builders ;  yet  there  is  a  mag- 
nificence in  this  bridge  amounting  even  to  splendor,  and  could  we  pomt  to  one  building 
in  Great  Britain  built  on  the  same  principles  of  sound  common  sense,  we  should  proba- 
blj  have  to  apply  it  to  the  same  e{Hthet. 

"  The  names  of  Watt,  Brindley,  Smcaton,  Telford  and  Rennie,  or  of  our  Stevensons, 
■  Brunels,  Lindleys  and  Cleggs,  are  names  to  which  an  Englishman  refers  with  pride, 
and  stand  in  strong  contrast  with  those  of  their  contemporary  builders  of  the  present  day ; 
the  former  have  contributed,  as  much  as  almost  any  class  of  men,  to  the  advancement 
of  civilization,  and  to  the  glory  of  the  nation,  and  may  almost  be  said  to  have  created  an 
art  which  is  daily  becoming  of  more  and  more  importance.  The  latter,  on  the  contrary, 
have  done  nothing  to  which  we  can  refer  with  unmixed  satisfiu:tion,  and  much  that  has 
made  us  a  laughing  stock  to  surrounding  nations. 

"  They  have  created  nothing  and  advanced  nothing ;  yet  so  closely  do  these  profesaiaiM 
i^iproach  at  some  points,  that  it  is  difficult  to  draw  a  Une  between  them,  and  to  sa^  what 
woiAs  belong  to  itae,  and  what  to  the  other ;  but  their  mode  of  treating  their  subject  diA 
fen  as  light  does  from  darkness.  The  one  admits  of  no  rule  but  fitnets  and  propriety, 
and  the  dictates  of  reason  and  common  sense ;  the  other,  copying  and  disguising,  never 
thinking  of  what  is  most  fit  or  noost  useful,  and  worshipping  the  shadow  of  exotic  art. 

"  Such  an  impulse  has  lately  been  given  by  our  railways  and  canals  to  the  scienec 
of  engineering,  that  it  now  occu{Hes  almost  as  much  of  the  public  attention  as  architee- 
jture,  and  there  is  more  probability  of  this  influence  increasing  than  diminishing,  we  may 
hope  that  the  sound  principles  which  have  enabled  engineers  to  execute  such  satis&etorf 
works  may  extend  to  our  architects,  and  that  we  may  soon  see  sonte  improvements  in 
their  designs ;  but  much  ignorance  and  long  nxrted  prejudice  must  first  be  conquered, 
voA,  above  all,  the  patrons  of  art  must  learn  to  take  more  interest  in  the  subject  tluB 
they  have  hitherto  done,  and  to  think  more  for  themselves." 


The  Portsmouth  (Ohio)  Tribune  says,  that  "  Leander  Ransom  gives  notice  that  the 
eanal  will  be  open  its  entire  length  on  the  15th  inst  We  understand  that  double  Mis 
of  hands  are  engaged  on  the  culvert  about  six  miles  firom  Portsmouth,  and  the  work  ia  pt^ 
Moited  both  night  and  day.    It  will  probaUy  be  completed  in  6  or  8  days  at  ftitheit.'* 


n    ■■^: 


-466  *■      Nero  York  and  Erie  Railroad, 

"•'  •'■IN-.*.  ■  ^^    ■      \'  \.\      '■         ^ 

■  NEW   YORK    AND   ERIE    RAILROAD. 

A  lar^  ineeting  of  highly  respectable  citizens  was  held  last  evening  at  the  Tabenutde, 
to  devise  means  for  aiding  and  urging  on  the  construction  of  this  important  work.  Th* 
following  gentlemen  were  chosen  to  preside :  ^U* 

President, 
'■*    "  ■'  ■  Geobqe  Gribwolo. 

i  Vice  Presidents, 

J  James  Harper,       *?.'£*••  \Vm.  Tucker,  John  H.  Hicks, 

.*  John  A.  King,  Jas,  Boorman,  J.  DePeyster  Ogden, 

Tho3.  Surtern,  Robt.  Smith,  P.    S.  Van  Rensselaw, 

.        C.  W.  Lawrence,  G.  G.  Howland.  Jacob  Little, 

•J  Jas.  Donaldson,  Saul  Alley,  R.  J.  Carman, 

Moses  Taylor,  Wm.  Bums. 

Secretaries, 
Charles  McVcan,  James  Kelley,  Charles  Dennison, 

Isaac  Townscnd,  Chas.  P.  Brown. 

Mr.  Joseph  Blunt  addressed  the  mooting  in  an  earnest  manner — urging  the  speedj 
construction  of  the  road,  and  illustrated  its  importance  to  this  city  with  the  following, 
-  4>nong  other  forcible  arguments : 

"  The  annual  consumption  of  pro\'ision8  by  our  city,  amount  in  value  to  some  $15,000,- 
000,  and  many  of  the  articles  are  furnished  by  the  region  bordering  on  the  line  of  the  Ene 
railroad  more  advantageously  than  from  any  other  quarter — for  instance,  beef,  of  which 
the  annual  consumption  is  Sl,500,000,  and  milk,  of  wliich  the  annual  cost  is  about 
S'1,000,000,  one-third  of  which  will  be  saved  by  theErie  railroad.  The  receipts  of  veal, 
poultry,  game,  butter,  cheese,  etc.,  by  this  road  are  already  very  large — of  veal,  600  tons 
last  year;  of  game,  1000  tons;  of  nulk,  5000  tons,  etc.  All  these  articles  have  been  cheap- 
ened to  our  city  by  this  road,  and  the  aggregate  saving  can  hardly  fell  below  SI  ,000,0w 
per  annum,  and,  if  the  road  were  coaiplcted,  would  be  nearer  ^2,000,000.  If,  then,  this 
work  would  not  pay  any  dividend,  it  would  still  be  incumbent  on  us,  and  our  obvious  in- 
terest, to  complete  it." 

Mr.  Blunt  closed  his  remarks  by  offering  several  resolutions  for  the  appointment  of  & 
'  committee  in  each  election  district,  and  among  the  various  professions  and  trades  in  the  citj 

with  a  view  of  presenting  tlie  subject  in  such  a  manner  that  every  person  may  feel  an  in- 
,'    .  terest  in,  and  contribute  to  its  success. 

Mr.  M.  C.  Patterson  followed  Mr.  Blunt,  and  gave  a  glowing  picture  of  the  advan- 
tages to  result  from  an  early  completion  of  the  road.  The  following  extracts  from  his  re- 
marks ought  to  be  read  by  all  who  feel  an  interest  in  the  progressive  prosperity  of  our  citj. 
After  referring  in  a  proper  manner  to  the  present  aWe  board  of  directors,  he  says, 

**  They  had  found,  after  careful  scrutiny,  that  the  property  of  the  company  is  now  wortll 
iJ4,OOO,0iX),  and  that  ^6,000,000  more  will  complete  the  work.  Shall  it  not  be  completed  1 
New  York,  lately  so  eminent,  now  labors  under  serious  disadvantages  in  competing  with 
her  rivals  for  the  trade  of  the  mighty  west.  Boston,  by  means  of  her  Western  and 
other  railroadt^,  always  in  operation,  presses  her  hard  on  the  north.  Philadelphia,  by  her 
▼ast  net  work  of  canals  and  railroads,  enjoys  decided  advantages  on  the  south.  The 
milder  climate  of  Pennsylvania  secures  to  her  three  weeks'  earlier  opening  and  a  week's 
later  closing  of  her  can  ds,  as  compareJ  with  those  of  our  State,  l*^  year  a  boat  from 
Ohio  had  rcachid  Philadelphia  three  weeks  before  our  canals  opened.  Baltimore  is  pres- 
'  •  «ing  forward  witli  still  greater  advantages  of  climate.  Charleston  has  also  made  a  spirited 
■      attempt  to  pierce  the  great  valley  of  the  west.     Can  we  afford  to  stand  idle?"     •     ♦ 

"  Tht!  53  miles  of  the  road  now  complcjted,  running  in  good  part  near  the  Hudson,  and 
forced  to  maintain  a  sharp  competition  with  that  cheap  route,  gave  last  year  an  income 
•  '  of  iJ10l,000,  netting  2>'16,000  o\er  current  expenses,  from  an  area  of  440,000  acres,  having 

a  |x>pulation  of  al^ut  40,000.  Allowing  the  road  when  completed  to  yield  in  like  ratio, 
and  even  reducing  the  nett  product  of  last  year  one-third,  or  from  S46,OO0  to  $30,000, 
since  it  is  found  that  some  1*2,000,000  acres  (equal  to  the  area  of  Connecticut,  Roodd 
Island  and  Massachusetts)  become  directly  tributary  to  this  road  on  its  completion,  th9 
annual  earnings  of  the  whole  road  must  amount  to  $1,373,000!  or  no  less  than  15  per 
cent,  on  the  capital  invested  !" 

,       ;    -,  Wm.  B.  Ogden,  Esq.,  of  Chicago,  also  addressed  the  meeting — giving  an  interesting 
description  of  the  growth  and  resources  of  the  west ;  and  of  the  interest  felt  by  the  peopU 
,  •      .       "     of  that  vast  region  in  the  success  of  this  work — assuring  the  meeting  that,  if  able,  ihef 
wouM  eoniitract  it  at  their  own  expense  rather  than  have  it  faiL       ,.       •  ; 


New  York  and  Erie  Railroad,    r  '  157 

The  meeting  was  large,  and  appeared  to  be  animated  by  the  right  feeling ;  and  it  is  to  b« 
hoped  that  a  similar  spirit  may  be  soon  found  to  pervade  this  entire  community.  : 

The  report  of  the  directors  published  in  February  last  ought  to  be  in  the  bands  of 
erery  business  man  in  the  city.  The  following  synopsis  of  it  gives  its  prominent  points, 
and  it  should  be  read  with  care — and  then  there  port  itself  should  be  examined.  *' 

STNOPSISt 

The  length  of  the  road  is  451  1-2  miles— €4  miles  of  which  are  finished,  and  53  oules 
in  actual  operation.  T 

177  miles  have  been  graded  and  bridged,  and  are  ready  for  the  superstructure. 

The  exact  location  of  350  miles  has  been  deterniined  on,  and  the  right  of  way  for  3S& 
miles  obtained. 

The  whole  amount  of  expenditure  upon  the  road  is  i|4,7l6,872  66.  * 

The  whole  amount  of  capital  stock  subject  to  dividends  isSl,501,830  14.  —A 

The  total  amount  of  the  indebtedness  of  the  company  is  about  $i600,000.  *^' 

The  total  cost  of  completing  the  road  is  estimated  as  follows : 
For  completing  the  track  for  use,  ....  -  $6,000,000 

The  outlit  for  commencement  .of  business,  viz:  for  depots,  water  stations, 

engines,  cars,  etc.,         -------  1,000,000 

Making  the  whole  sum  required,        -----  $7,000,000 

To  which  add  amount  of  indebtedness,    ----'-  600,000 

"  "  capital  stock,  -  -  -     ■       -  -  1,501,830 

Making  the  total  amount  of  capital  stock  when  the  road  is  completed,  -  $9,101,830 

The  board  estimates  that  the  property  which  this  capital  stock  will  own,  could  not 
have  been  acquired  for  less  than  11,000,000  ddls. 

The  report  is  accompanied  by  a  map  delineating  an  area  of  country  which  will  be  tri- 
butary to  the  road  in  its  transportation  of  freight  and  passengers.  That  area  embraces 
idi>out  12,000,000  acres  and  contains  a  population  of  531,000  inhabitants. 

The  population  tributary  to  the  Erie  canal  in  1820  was  521,311,  and  in  1825,  when 
it  was  first  opened,  681,725. 

The  area  of  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  is  8,660,000  acres,  and  tb« 
amount  expended  for  railroads  in  those  States  is  25,000,000  dolls. 

Of  the  indebtedness  of  the  company  the  report  states  that  the  only  sum  which  can 
embarrass  its  operations' within  five  years  has  been  reduced  to  lets  than  100,000  dollars,  ,. 
and  that  the  board  has  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  surrender  of  the  assignments  and  in  re- 
covering possession  of  the  road  and  the  other  property  of  the  company ;  and  although 
"  some  difficulty  may  still  grow  out  of  the  indebtedness  not  settled,  yet,  trusting  to  the  as- 
surances given  by  the  parties  alniost  without  exception  to  extend  to  the  company  all  the 
time  that  the  ultimate  security  of  these  debts  will  permit,  the  board  believe  that  it  will  be 
possible  to  make  arrangements  that  will  prevent  any  embarrassing  prosecution  of  the  claims 
daring  the  period  that  measures  for  the  resumption  of  the  worn  are  under  consideration 
and  action. 

The  company  has  also  been  relieved  &om  all  connection  with  past  contracts  and  ques- 
tions of  damages. 

During  the  year  ending  the  1st  April,  1844,  the  totjj  nett  earnings  of  the  53  miles  in  ' 
operation  from  Piermont,  on  the  river,  to  Middletown,  in  Orange  Co.,  7  miles  of  which  ^ 
was  not  completed  until  June,  1843,  will  be  46,800  dollars,  making  a  reasonable  estimate 
for  the  last  two  months.     The^  extreme  end  of  this  portion  of  the  road  is  only  20  miles 
from  the  river,  and  the  whole  53  miles,  therefore,  subject  to  great  competition,  which  di-  > 
minishcs,  and  fii^ly  ceases,  as  the  road  penetrates  the  interior. 

"  The  board  agrees  with  those  who  have  preceded  them  in  similar  investigations,  in  con- 
wdering  that  the  population,  products  and  area  of  the  country,  whose  travel  and  transpor- 
tation can  be  commanded,  form  a  basis  of  calculation  of  all  others  most  to  be  relied  on." 

They  therefore  present  tables  of  articles  transported  during  six  months  ending  Scpteni»^ 
ber  30tn,  1843,  over  the  53  miles  in  use ;  and  the  table,  compiled  from  the  last  census  of  ^ 
the  United  Stales,  of  the  population  and  products  of  the  counties  tributary  to  the  road. 

From  these  tables  it  has  been  inferred  that  about  one-fourth  of  the  nett  earnings  at* 
of  a  local  character,  and  that  the  surplus  products  in  proportion  to  the  population,  fully 
eiqual  those  of  Orange  and  Rockland.  To  enable  a  calculation  of  the  probable  produc- 
tiveness of  the  road  to  be  made  on  the  basis  mentioned,  the  entire  area  of  country  through 
which  the  road  passes,  has  been  subdivided  into  districts,  whose  centres  are  succesavdj '. 
50  miks  apart  on  the  line  of  the  road,  and  the  area  and  population  of  each  district  have. . 
been  ascertained,  upon  which  principle  a  calculation  is  tnus  illustrated :  < ' 

1.  The  total  amount  of  nett  earnings  from  a  population  of  40,000  being  40,000  dol- 
lars ;  30,000  may  be  taken  as  the  basis  of  the  calculation.  "_ 

2.  Instead  of  taking  the  full  amount  that  might  be  deducted  irom  the  calculation  of  ' 
relative  population  ana  distances,  two-thirds  of  t^at  amount  is  assured. 


158  .. .i.-c../'*;*       Iron  Ships.         -•ife.  •     '      1 

And  the  result  is  the  sum  of  $1,343,500  as  the  total  nett  earnings  of  the  whole  road, 
which  is  equal  to  a  revenue  of  15  per  cent,  on  the  total  amount  of  ci4]itaL 

The  revenue  that  is  expected  to  accrue  from  the  transportation  of  the  mails,  and  which 
will  not  probably  be  less  tnan  100,000  dollars  per  annum,  is  not  included  in  the  above  nett 
earnings.  Neither  is  an  allowance  made  for  the  increase  of  population ;  the  business  that 
must  inevitably  be  brought  to  the  road  from  the  lakes  \  nor  the  diminished  expense  of  trans- 
portation us  the  length  of  the  road  is  increased. 

The  exports  and  imports  of  Buffalo  during  the  year  1843,  were  23,700,000  dollars. 

It  appears  that  passengers  con  be  conveyeuby  tnis  road  from  lake  Erie  to  the  city  of  N. 
York,  in  from  24  to  26  hours  at  a  charge  of  10  dollars  each,  and  will  afford  a  profit  of  from 
3  to  5  dollars ;  that  light  freight  can  he  transported  in  the  same  space  of  time,  and  heavy 
freight  in  from  48  to  50  hours,  yielding  a  profit  at  low  rates  of  from  3  to  10  dollars  per  ton. 
Passengers  are  now  conveyed  from  Buffalo  to  New  York  during  the  summer  in  from  35 
to  40  hours  at  a  charge  of  SH  50,  and  during  the  winter  by  the  Housatonic  railroad  in  40 
hours,  at  a  charge  of  16  dollars,  both  exclusive  of  expenses  on  the  road ;  and  from  Buffa- 
lo to  Boston  in  36  hours,  for  15  dollars. 

During  the  six  months  ending  Sept.  30th,  1843,  3,000,000  quarts  of  milk — equal  to 
6,000,000  dollars  per  annum — were  brought  over  the  eastern  division  of  the  road,  for  which 
the  consumers  paid  4  cents  a  quart.  Before  a  supply  was  obtained  through  this  source, 
the  average  price  was  6  cents  a  quart ;  an  annual  saving  is  therefore  effected  to  thccity  on 
the  amount  brought,  of  120,000  dollars ;  estimating  the  whole  consumption  of  the  city  at 
16,000,000  of  quarts,  the  saving  on  the  whole  would  be  320,000  dollars. 

A  table  is  given,  showing  the  amount  of  country  produce  annually  consumed  in  the  citj 
of  New  York,  the  value  of  which  is  put  down  at  15,500,000  dollars. 

The  whole  amount  that  will  be  required  to  complete  the  road  is  7,600,000  dollars ;  and 
with  respect  to  the  method  of  raising  that  sum  the  directors  remark,  that  "  the  act  of  1843 
authorizes  the  company  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of  3,000,000  dollars,  which  resource, 
however,  will  not  be  an  available  one  until  further  expenditures  on  the  road  shall  make 
the  property  of  undoubted  security  to  the  bondholders ;  nor  until  the  means  of  paying  the 
interest  on  these  bonds  is  found  within  the  resources  of  the  company."  They  "  are  of 
opinion  that  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  6,000,000  of  dollars  to  the  cajHtal  stock  of  the 
company  must  be  obtained  before  any  steps  can  be  taken  for  the  resumption  of  the  work,  and 
that  with  such  subscription  the  completion  of  the  road  is  secured  with  all  reasonable  certainty." 

The  road  runs  within  20  to  30  miles  of  the  great  anthracite  and  bitumiiu>us  coal  region 
in  the  northern  counti^  of  Pennsylvania. 

Access  will  be  had  from  it  to  the  immense  beds  of  g3rp6um  or  plaster,  so  valuable  to  the 
agriculturist,  and  also  to  the  salt  region  of  Onondaga  by  the  interior  lakes  of  the  State, 
the  Chemung  canal  and  the  Ithaca  and  Owcgo  railroad. 

At  375  miles  from  New  York  the  road  will  connect  with  the  Allegheny  river,  which  u 
navigable  for  descending  freight  during  the  months  of  April  and  May,  and  by  which  rout* 
merchandize  can  be  delivered  in  Pittsburgh  in  about  7  days. 

Tables  are  given  showing  the  immense  increase  of  late  years  in  the  tonnage  on  the  ni> 
per  lakes,  and  in  the  amount  of  property  coming  from  other  States  and  shipped  at  BufiioM 
and  Block  Rock.  The  number  of  tons  of  property  that  came  from  other  States  and  waN 
received  at  these  two  places  increased  from  36,273  tons  in  1836,  to  224,166  tons  ya  1843. 

The  board,  in  expressing  its  opinion  that  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  will  afford 
advantages  not  po^ssed  by  other  avenues,  and  that  its  construction  is  of  great  importance 
to  our  city,  enters  into  an  enumeration  of  those  advantages ;  but  as  they  are  too  volui)uii> 
oas  for  a  synopsis,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  report  itselfl 

IRON   SHIPS.  ^ 

We  had  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  the  launch  of  an  iron  steam  ship^ 
built  for  the  revenue  service  by  Messrs.  H.  R.  Dunham  &  Co.,  Archimedes 
works,  under  the  superintendence  of  Capt  Howard,  U.  S.  N.  The  engines 
are  by  another  firm.  She  has  a  single  propeller,  and  is  to  be  full  ship  rig* 
ged.  Her  model  struck  us  as  being  remarkably  fine,  and  so  just  are  her 
proportions,  that  it  was  difficult  to  believe  her  capacity  to  be  above  three  hun- 
dred tons.  We  had  flattered  ourselves  with  the  hope  of  presenting  out 
readers  with  a  minute  account  of  both  hull  and  engines,  but  are  only  enabled 
to  give  the  former  at  present,  though  we  hope  in  our  next  to  give  full  ac- 
counts of  several  other  iron  ships,  and  small  craft,  now  constructing  in  this 
port    The  following  are  the  dimensions  of  hull  and  material: 


Length  on  deck,  140  feet  Breadth,  24  feet  Depth  of  hold,  11  feet. 
Tonnage,  340  tons. 

The  size  of  the  ribs,  4^x1 ;  20  inches  apart  from  centre  to  centre ;  con- 
nect«Hl  to  the  skin  with  3  inch  x  |  knees,  on  each  side  of  rib,  on  every  lon- 
gitudinal seam.  The  skin  of  the  vessel  on  the  floor  and  each  end  including 
upper  streak,  is  of  |  inch  plates';  other  parts  j\  inch  full 

There  are  two  water  tight  bulkheads,  which  include  the  engine,  boiler 
and  coal,  making  three  water  tight  compartments  in  the  hull  These  com- 
municate with  each  other  by  means  of  slide  valves,  which,  in  case  of  leak- 
age, can  be  instantly  closed.  Connected  with  the  forward  of  these  are  the 
coal  bunkers,  which  are  riveted  to  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  and  extend  up- 
ward to  the  deck,  where  they  are  secured  to  the  beams. 

The  deck  beams  are  of  angle  iron,  5  inches  on  one  side  by  l|xf  thick, 
to  which  the  deck  is  secured  by  means  of  bolts  and  nuts — in  a  very  solid 
and  superior  manner. 

TO  THB  SUBSCRIBERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  RAILROAD  JOURNAL. 

The  undersigned,  during  his  connection  with  this  Journal,  having  en- 
gaged in  other  pursuits,  necessarily  occupying  much  of  his  time,  has  been 
frequently  prevented  from  giving  that  attention  to  the  work  which  its  interests 
demand.  He  now  finds  it  expedient  to  devote  himself  entirely  to  his  other 
avocations,  and  accordingly,  having  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  proprietor- 
ship, his  duties,  as  editor  and  proprietor,-  cease  with  the  present  number. 

Having  for  more  than  eight  years  used  the  editorial  we,  he  begs  permis- 
fion,  on  relinquishing  it,  to  say  a  few  words  in  propria  persona.  When  the 
undersigned  first  became  connected  with  this  work,  the  railroad  cause  was 
rapidly  advancing  under  the  united  forces  of  its  own  merits,  and  the  common 
stimulus  then  operating  upon  every  species  of  enterprize.  That  the  tide 
soon  turned,  we  all  know — its  efiects  upon  the  community  generally,  and  upon 
the  railroad  cause,  will  not  be  soon  forgotten.  The  trials  experienced  insustain> 
ing  the  Journal,  and  the  loss  to  its  owners,  are  fully  known  only  to  those  most 
interested — they  need  not  be  repeated  for  the  edification  of  others.  Mean- 
while the  good  cause  has  passed  through  such  an  ordeal  as  seldom  tries  un- 
dertakings of  like  character ;  it  is  now  unaided  by  any  undue  stimulus,  but 
its  own  merits  are  acknowledged  fully  and  universally,  and  by  their  help 
alone  it  is  rapidly  entering  upon  a  healthy  prosperity.  The  untiring  labors 
of  zealous  friends  of  the  cause  have  sucessiutly  contended  with  the  host  oi  ad- 
verse circumstances  belonging  to  this  disastrous  period.  To  these  friends  the 
Railroad  Journal  has  mainly  owed  its  continued  existence — ^not  only  have  they 
enhanced  the  value  of  its  pages  by  their  contributions — but  encouraged  and 
sustained  its  publishers  by  the  substantial  aid  of  promptly  paid  subscriptions. 

The  undersigned  would  leave  undischarged  an  imperative  but  welcome 
daty,  were  he  to  pa.ss  by  this  opportunity  of  gratefully  acknowleding  these 
various  acts  of  kindness,  shown  to  him  as  connected  with  the  Journal.  But 
more  than  this  he  feels  bound  to  say.  In  his  personal  intercourse  with  the 
members  of  the  profession,  and  others  interested  in  railroads,  he  has  uniform- 
ly received  the  most  courteous  treatment,  and  has,  in  many  instances,  been 
led  into  association  with  those  whose  friendship  he  flatters  himself  will  out- 
last his  formal  connection  with  the  Railroad  Journal. 

By  a  transfer  of  his  share  of  these  kindly  ofiices  to  Mr.  Minor,  the  friends 
of  the  undersigned  will  not  only  confer  a  personal  obligation,  but  likewise 
aid  in  the  just  and  proper  roitoralkta  of  diese  £|voj:|i(giii$iy[.oziglB»l  recipients 


160  '  '      '   Editoriml.      " 

In  no  way  can  the  well  wishers  of  the  Journal  render  it  more  important 
aid  than  by  frequent  contributions  to  its  pages,  while  from  the  number  of 
those  already  enlisted  among  its  regular  contributers,  its  increasing  in- 
terest and  value  may  be  found  guarantt^ed. 

Although  released  from  all  charge  over  the  Journal,  the  undersigned  will 
remain  as  much  attached  to  its  interests  as  ever,  and  also  proposes,  as  far  aa 
other  engagements  will  allow,  to  continue  to  write  for  its  pages.  • 

In  conclusion,  the  subscriber  offers  his  best  wishes  for  the  health  and  proS' 
perity  of  the  friends,  subscribers  and  worthy  conductor  of  the  American 
Railroad  Journal.     Long  may  it  flourish.     Success  to  the  railroad  cause. 
^^.,^,  George  C.  Schaefper,    '. 

Prom  the  preceding  valedictory,  the  readers  of  the  Railroad  Journal  will  learn  that  Mr. 
George  C.  Schaeffer,  who  has,  for  the  past  eight  years,  been  the  principal  editor,  with- 
draws from  his  post.  In  parting  thus  with  an  associate  and  friend,  who  so  long  stood  bj 
my  side,  while  I  was  able  to  sustain  my  position ;  and  who,  manfully  and  alone  for  years, 
in  behalf  of  the  Journal,  breasted  the  storm  which  prostrated  me,  with  many  of  its  early 
iiiends,  until  I  could  again  come  to  its  aid,  with  renewed  energies,  I  feel  called  upon 
to  bear  testimony,  as  well  to  his  uniform  kindness  and  courtesy,  in  our  business  relations 
as  to  his  ability  and  discretion  in  the  discharge  of  his  editorial  duties.  When  Mr. 
Schaeffer  first  entered  upon  his  duties  as  editor,  the  condition  and  prospects  of  the  railroad 
system,  and  hence  of  the  Railroad  Journal,  seemed  to  warrant  the  opinion  that  his  eflbrts 
in  the  cause  would  meet  with  a  liberal  reward  ;  but  I  regret  to  say  that  such  has  not  been 
the  result,  and  therefore  I  cannot  complain,  however  much  I  may  regret,  that  he  re- 
linquishes his  station  to  seek  another  which  may  yield  him  a  better  return ;  and  in  taking 
leave  of  him  as  an  associate,  after  so  long  a  period  of  constant  and  harmonious  intercourse, 
amid  the  trying  scenes  of  the  past  seven  years,  I  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  my  ardent 
hope  that  he  may  be  successful  in  his  present  pursuits,  even  in  proportion  to  his  steriing 
merits — a  measure  of  reward,  which,  if  realized,  will  yield  him  all  that  is  desirable  in  life. 

One  word,  now,  in  relation  to  the  future  course  of  the  Journal.  As  heretofore,  it  will 
be  mainly  devoted  to  the  cause  of  internal  improvements,  and  especially  of  railroads.  Its 
columns  will,  however,  be  open  to  a  free  and  full  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the  different  sy». 
tems,  and  of  different  works.  Truth,  being  mighty,  is  sure  ultimately  to  triumph,  as  I 
believe  railroads  are  destined  to,  over  every  ol»tacle ;  and  to  become,  in  this  country ,the  bonds 
of  union  and  the  roads  to  wealth,  the  increased  intelligence  and  happiness  of  Uie  peojde. 

Entertaining  these  views,  and  believing  that  we  have  had,  in  this  country,  ample  exp^ 
rience,  without  referring  to  Europe,  to  establish  their  superiority  over  every  other  mode  of 
intercommunication,  I  hope,  wth  the  continued  aid  of  those  friends,  and  my  late  associate, 
who  have -labored  so  ardently  for  the  cause,  together  with  others  who  have  promised  their 
co-operation,  to  make  the  Railroad  Journal  the  appropriate  medium  for  disseminating  the 
results  of  the  experience  of  our  numerous  able  and  scientific  engineers,  and  machinists; 
and  thus  to  command  the  liberal  patronage  of  those  whose  interests  are  so  largely  identi- 
fied with  the  system.  A  few  copies  of  this  number  will  be  sent  to  friends  of  the  cauae, 
in  different  parts  of  the  country,  with  the  hope  of  securing  their  aid  in  its  more  general  cii^ 
culation ;  and  should  it  meet  with  a  cordial  reception  and  prompt  return,  I  shall  be  en- 
couraged to  renewed,  and,  I  trust,  successful  efforts  to  make  it  still  more  useful  than  it  has 
hitherto  been.  D.  K.  Minor. 

^'  We  have  only  space  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  report  of  the  Baltimtve  and  Sus- 
quehannah  railroad  company  for  1843 — the  "  report  of  the  engineer  on  the  route  surveyed 
for  the  northern  railroad,  from  Concord  to  Lebanon,  N.  H." — the  "  proceedings  of  the 
stockholders  of  the  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  Charleston  railroad  company — and  gf  the 
sooth  western  railroad  bank" — and  also  of  the  pamphlet  of  "  Examiner,  in  relation  to  the 
Reading  railroad — all  c^  which  we  shall  look  into  and  perhaps  refer  to  again. 

CONTENTS: 

'                                                                      Sufft  ■                     Pace. 

Wear  and  tnar  and  destnictinn  of  iron  rails,      129  Editorial,  148,  168,  1G9,  W 

Cost  of  trsnspoitation  on  railmads,            130,  149  New  York  and  Eria  railroad,  ICQ,  106 

Annoal  return  of  the  MastachiiKettt  railroad*,    130  Schuylkill  navigation,  IB 

CaoM  of  tht  iitilare  of  cmneU  ia  Ameticm,        14S  Balogiiun  on  engiaeen,,  IBt 


-■<t:'^:->''^'--'  ■  tr^^;    ,.^<-M.,'' 


^;  ^  AMERICAN 


-i***! 


RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 


^.■■J:''^  MECHANICS' MAGAZINE.       J 

No.   6,  Vol.   2.    )  ,..     _  TTTTVT;'      ISLU.      -  5  Whole  No.  437. 

Third  Series.     \      ,.^»,   ;   "      '     •■        JUiNfci,    lCS44.  ,j  ^       Vol.  XVU. 

For  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

GENERAL    PRINCIPLES   AND    INVESTIGATION   OF    F0RMI7L.a:. 

In  making  excavations  through  earth,  it  is  customary  to  give  some  incli- 
nation or  slope  to  the  sides  of  the  cuts  to  prevent  the  banks  from  sliding  in 
and  filling  the  roadway.  The  degree  of  inclination  is  always  indicated  by 
the  distance  the  slope  recedes  from  a  perpendicular  in  a  height  one. 

Thus,  if  the  deviation  from  the  peroendicular  is  equal  to  the  depth  of  the 
cut,  (or  the  inclination  is  45°,)  the  side  banks  are  said  to  have  a  slope  of  1. 
or,  as  it  is  frequently  expressed,  of  1  to  1.  If  the  deviation  is  J  the  depth, 
the  slope  is  ^  to  1.   v  '^  !*  v  i  '"^    ' 

In  excavations  through  rock,  or  very  hard  clay,  a  slope  of  ^  to  1  is  gene- 
rally used ;  common  earth  stands  at  a  slope  of  1  to  1,  but  very  sandy  soil 
requires  a  slope  of  1^  to  1.  The  section  of  an  embankment  is  precisely 
similar  to  that  of  an  excavation  inverted,  and  therefore  all  the  rules,  formulas 
and  tables  are  alike  applicable  to  both  descriptions  of  work. 

In  embankments  it  is  not  considered  prudent  ever  to  adopt  a  less  slope  thaqi 
1^  to  1,  unless  the  earth  is  supported  by  side  walls.  ''  '; 

» In  explaining  the  methods  we  use  for  the  calculation  of  the  solid  contents 
of  earth  work,  we  shall  first  consider  those  cases  where  there  is  no  slope  in 
the  ground  transversely,  or  at  right  angles  to  the  direction  of  the  centre  line 
of  the  road. 

;      Let  D  be  the  depth  of  an  excavation  at  any  point,     :'^-"'.^..''-^''/'-  Jy---' 
'">'  B      the  width  of  the  base, 

'^"  V-     m      the  slope  of  the  side  banks  or  distance  they  recede  from  the 
perpendicular  in  a  height  one.  ....   ^., 

Then   B  -f  2  m  D  =  width  of  excavation  on  top,  f 

B  +  m  D  =  average  width,  I 

and      (B  -f-  m  D)  D  =  area  of  the  cross  section.  i,  / 

Hence  if  the  depth  were  uniform  throughout  a  length  L  the  content  would  be 

(B  +  m  D)  D  L (A^v 

From  this  expression  the  tables  of  average  depths  are  calculated. 

We  will  now  suppose  D  and  i  to  be  the  depths  at  the  two  extremities  of 
an  excavation,  the  sur&ce  being  understood  to  vary  uniformly  between  these 


General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula. 

points.  Then  the  content  of  the  included  solid  will  be  found  by  multiplying 
the  sum  of  the  end  areas  and  four  times  the  area  of  a  middle  section  by  one- 
sixth  of  the  length.     (See  page  141  Bonnycastle  Mensuration.) 

The  end  areas  are  (B  +  m  D)  D,    ♦       I  > . 

and  {B  -{-m  d)  d, 

fcur  times  the  area  of  middle  section    2  B  (D  -\-  d)  -{-  m  {D  -\-  dy .   -  « 

Hence  the  content  is 

\3B{D-j-d)-\-mD^  +md^  +w(D  +  rf)»  I  ^    '         'tST 

£  %    T  I 

=  )6B  (D-f  <i)  +  4mD» -}-4ot  D<i  +  4»trf'M-|    -    -(B) 

Now  the  content  of  a  cut  of  an  uniform  depth  throughout  of  ^  (D  +  d), 
found  by  substituting  ^  {D  -\-  d)  for  D  in  equation  (A)  will  be 


B  +  im(D  +  ^)  j 


D-{-d 


-XL 


4-- 


2 

=  j  6  B  (D  +  <i)  +  3  »i  EF  +  6  OT  D  <i  +  3  m  (?  ^  — . 

The  difference  between  this  content  for  the  average  depth  of  ^  (D-f  d), 
and  the  content  of  a  cut  the  depth  of  which  is  D  at  one  end,  and  d  at  the 
other,  as  given  in  formula  (B,)  is 

(mD^  — 2»n  Dd  +  wtd^)— , 

or        (O-df--.  ....  .       ^^ 

It  appears  from  this,  that  the  correction  to  be  added  to  the  content  obtained 
from  the  average  depth,  varies  as  the  square  ot  the  difference  of  the  depths 
at  the  two  extremities  of  the  excavation ;  and  that,  therefore,  if  a  table  is  cal- 
culated expressing  the  values  of  equation  (C)  for  different  values  of  (D — d) 
we  can  readily  ascertain  the  content  of  any  excavation,  by  addition  of  the 
numbers  taken  from  this  table  to  the  content  found  in  the  table  of  average 
depths  and  corresponding  to  a  depth  of  ^  (D  +  «i). 

The  tables  numbered  VII,  XIV  and  XXI,  and  headed  "  Corrections  for 
Differences,^^  are  computed  from  formula  (C),  and  adapted  to  this  purpose. 

It  is  customary  with  many  engineers  to  multiply  the  half  sum  of  the  end 
areas  by  the  length  for  the  content.     The  half  sum  of  the  end  areas  multi- 
plied by  the  length  is  . ,   y. .:  z:^  >.^.v,  v.f;  ^u::h.  . 
{BD-\-Bd  +  mTy-\-md')-      '    t^';.-   '^  ^; 

=  \  6B  {D -\- d) -{- 6  miy-\- 6  md'l^  '*• 

from  which  deduct  the  true  content  as  in  equation  (B),  and  there  remains  : 

^  -;-   (2miy  — 4mD/i  +  2OT^)  ^  =  P  —  <i)i^  "  |' ' 

It  will  be  perceived  that  the  amount  of  error  is  exactly  double  the  whole 


Vl  >  i    linti 


General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula. 


les 


"  correction  for  differences."  In  a  cut  100  feet  long,  30  feet  deep  at  one  end, 
snd  3  feet  at  the  other,  having  a  slope  of  1^  to  1,  there  would  be  an  excess 
in  the  return  of  work  thus  estimated  on  this  short  distance,  of  675  cubic 
yards. 

We  will  now  consider  those  cases  where  there  is  an  inclination  in  the 

.natural  surface  of  the  ground  in  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  the  centre  line 

of  the  road. 


\ 


^4 


/ 


Let  ABODE  (fig.  I)  be  a  transverse  vertical  section  of  an  excavation, 
where  B  C  is  the  base,  A  B  and  C  D  the  sloping  sides,  E  F  the  centre  cut- 
ting, and  A  E  D  the  natural  surface.  Draw  L  E  M  parallel  to  B  C  (cut- 
ting the  side  slopes  at  L  and  M),  and  A  G  and  D  H  perpendicular  to  it 
Since  the  area  ABCD  =  LBCM  +  AEL— DEM,the  content  of  a 
prism  Avhose  base  is  A  B  C  D,  and  length  L,  may  be  found  by  adding  to 
the  content  of  the  prism  having  the  bBfee  L  B  C  M,  (which  will  be  taken 
from  the  table  of  averages,)  the  difference  of  the  prisms  whose  bases  are  the 
triangles  A  E  L  and  DEM  respectively.     But  area  AEL  =  iELxA  G 


andareaEDM  =  iEMxDH.     Hence 


AG  — DH 


X  E  L  X  L  is  the 


correction  for  the  transverse  slope,  which  must  be  added  to  the  average  content 

I  to  give  the  true  content  of  the  solid  whose  section  is  the  figure  A  C.     "When 

.  the  depth  of  cutting  at  the  points  A  and  D  has  been  ascertained,  A  G  and 

"  D  H  are  known,  being  the  difference  of  elevation  of  the  points  A  and  D 

and  the  centre  E.     We  may  also  remark  that  E  L  or  E  M  is  equal  to  B  F 

-f- )»  X  E  F.     Where  the  inclination  of  the  ground  is  not  very  great,  it  will 

be  found  sufficiently  accurate  for  all  purposes,  and  much  more  expeditious, 

after  having  run  the  centre  line  to  take  the  transverse  slope  in  degrees  right 

and  left  of  the  centre.     Wm.  J.  Young,  of  Philadelphia,  has  made  a  very 

neat  little  slope  instrument  expressly  for  this  purpose.  ■-_. 


164 


General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula. 


When  the  transverse  slopes  have  been  ascertained  in  degrees,  the  correc- 
tions will  be  found  by  means  of  a  table  which  will  now  be  explained. 

Produce  A  B,  E  F  and  D  C  until  they  meet  in  I.  On  E  I  lay  off  E  i 
=  1  and  draw  a  i,  i  m  parallel  to  A  I  and  D  I  cutting  A  E,  E  L,  E  D  and 
E  M  in  a,  /,  d,  and  m ;  and  draw  a  g  and  d  h  perpendicular  to  G  M. 
Then  the  areas  a  i  E,  E  rf  m  are  equal  respectively  to  ^  a  ^  x  E  i  and  \  d 
A  X  E  ?«,  and  are  to  be  found  under  the  head  of  greater  and  lesser  areas  in 
tables  XXIII,  XXIV,  XXV  and  XXVI,  for  every  degree  of  slope  from 
1°  upwards.  In  the  same  tables  under  the  heads  of  greater  and  lesser 
distances,  will  be  found  the  values  of  a  E,  and  E  d  also  for  every  de- 
gree. ■  "•    -^i-  'v./ •■-;--.•/.•;  ^  ^■,:^ ^-...i^r'^i'r-:;^ ,'  >,  : 

Now,         E  i(=l):  EI:  :  Ea:  E  A  =  EaxE  I  I 

Ei  :EI::Erf:ED  =  E<ixEI. 

Hence  the  side  distances  E  A  and  E  D  are  found  by  multiplying  E  I  by 
the  numbers  in  the  table  opposite  the  given  slope  and  under  the  greater  and 
lesser  distances. 

Again,  (E  if  (=  1) :  (E  If  : :  (E  If  :  (E  Lf  : :  area  Z  a  E :  area  L  A  E' 
=  area/aE  x(E  1)1  /  -\ 

(E  if  :  (E  I)^  :  :  (E  mf  :  (E  M)'' :  :  area  B  d  m  :  area  E  D  M  =  area 
Ed«x(EI)^ 

2.  ■■■:■■.. 


■.(.;;»jni'q,«i^^r  xiil'^hy*-: 


General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula.  165 

^^      Hence  the  true  correction  for  a  length  L  is  (Z  a  E  —  E  <i  m)  X  E  P  X  L; 

Now,  E  F  X  L  is  the  content  of  a  square  prism,  whose  base  is  E  I,  and 

length  L;  and  table  XXII  shows  the  content  in  cubic  yards  of  prisms  100 

feet  long  for  square  bases  from  1  to  200  feet.     Hence  the  value  of  E  P  X  L 

^  reduced  to  cubic  yards  may  be  taken  from  this  table. 

.  -  It  will  generally  be  found  sufficiently  accurate  to  consider  the  average 
slope  in  degrees  as  the  uniform  slope,  and  the  average  depth  as  the  uniform 
depth  throughout  the  cut.  But  as  this  is  not  always  the  case,  it  is  desirable 
to  have  a  true  expression  for  the  correction  where  the  depths  of  cutting  (and 
consequently  the  width  on  top)  arid  the  transverse  slopes  are  variable.  We 
will  then  see  how  far  a  mean  depth  and  slope  may  be  used  without  introduc- 
ing  material  errors  into  the  results  of  our  calculation. 

Let  ALE  (Fig.  2)  represent  a  vertical  section  of  that  part  of  an  excava- 
tion which  rises  above  the  centre  E,  A  L  being  the  sloping  side  of  the  cut, 
and  A  E  a  section  of  the  natural  surface.  Let  A'  L'  E'  be  a  similar  and 
parallel  section  situated  at  a  distance  E  E'  from  the  plane  ALE.  On  E  L 
and  E'  L'  produced,  let  fall  the  perpendiculars  A  G  and  A'  G' ;  produce  E 
E'  and  A  A'  to  meet  L  L'  produced  in  S  and  N  and  draw  K  N  parallel  to 
E  L  or  E'  L'. 

Put        EL  =  T,E'L'  =  T',  AG  =  P,  A'G'  =  F 
E  E' =  a;,  E  S  =  M  and  E  K  =  M'. 
.(I       Then      E  S  :  E'  S  :  :  E  L :  E'  L',  "     .    - 

^M^       or  M:M  — z::T:T'  =  T— ^. 

M 

and         EK:E'K(::  LN:  L'N):  :  AG:  A'G', 

:    ':■;         that  is     M'  :  M'  —  2  :  :  P  :  P  =  P  —  ^*  . 

.      I*  M  '■' 

T  P  «       T  P  T       TP-r^v 
Now.he,reaALE=^rP'  =  i(TP-l^--5j-+^) 

But  if  S  =  content  of  the  solid  E  A'  the  differential  of  2  S  =  2  area  A'  L' 

E'xdx  =  TPd  x  —  '^-  dx-  '^-^  d  X -{-"^J^  d  X.    1  .  ^ 

Hence  by  integrating  this  equation  we  have       ^ 

■^'l  oo      mo  TPi^        TParTPx' 

2M'  2M    ^3MM  ■    .  ;  ■ 

T  z  P  z 

*  Subetituting  for  M  and  M'  in  this  equation  their  values  = and  — — 

T  —  T  P  —  r 

and  putting  L  for  z  we  have  .     *      \   <-<      ,.v 

^^;         S  =  (2  T  P  +  2  T'  P  -f  T'  P  +  T  P)  —       *  v    .        (D) 

fi  ,  ^^ 

This  IS  a  general  expression  for  the  content  of  a  solid  bounded  on  two 

/:  sides  by  planes,  and  on  the  third  by  a  warped  surface, 
r      Jf  B  C  (fig  2)  represents  the  base  B,  IF  =  —  ,EI=D  +  — -  =  H 


166  General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula. 

and  E' I''=H',  then  T  =  EL  =  mxH  and  T'  =  E' L' =  m  X  H'.  These 
Talues  of  T  and  T'  substituted  in  the  last  equation  give  us  for  the  content 

<2  H  P  +  ^  H'  F  +  H'  P  +  H  P)  — ,  .;! 

which  is  the  excess  in  cutting  caused  by  the  slope  of  the  ground  rising  above 
the  centre  line  of  the  excavation ;  and  if  H  D  and  H'  D'  (fig.  2)  be  put  =p 
and  p'j  the  deficiency  caused  by  the  slope  falling  below  the  centre  will  be 

•  (2  H  p  +  2  H>'  +  H>  +  H  p')  ^,      ■       1     'v  - 

and  the  true  correction  is  evidently  equal  to  the  difference  of  these  expres- 
sions, or 

I  (2  H  +  H>(P  -;.)  +  (H  +  3  H')  (P  -p)  |   ~       -    (E). 

Had  we  taken  — - —  in  place  of  P  and  P',  and  ^~^  for  p  and  p',  or 
^  2 

the  mean  of  the  perpendiculars  P,  p,  P'  and  p',  the  correction  would  hare 
been 

(H  +  H')(P-;>  +  P'-2)')^         -       .        .       .     F, 

which  if  substracted  from  equation  (E)  leaves  a  second  correction 

(H-H')(P-;)-P'+;>')^  -        -         -(G). 

These  are  in  a  more  convenient  form  than  equation  (E),  as  (G)  may,  when 
of  little  importance,  be  omitted. 

When  P  —  j»  =  P'  — p'  equation  (E)  becomes  ''  '*'    1 

(H  +  H')(P-;,)~          -         -         .         .  -        (H). 

When  the  depth  is  uniform  but  not  the  slope  we  have  ■  ,  ^.   ^  ^ 

H(P-2>  +  P'-p')^      .     ,:^,,,..,     .  .          (I). 

And  finally,  when  slope  and  depth  are  both  uniform. 


L.r  •>■  v"--  -.■'.*-«V 


e: 


H(P-p)-^  .       -       -       -       .       (ft). 

These  expressions  for  "  corrections  for  transverse  slopes"  are  in  the  moat 

convenient  form,  if  the  heights  of  the  points  A  and  D  (figures  1  and  2)  are 

found  without  the  use  of  the  slope  instrument,  and  they  do  not  require  the 

use  of  the  tables. 

,       „      2  AH        2aH_,    2A'H'      .    ,      2  a' H'        ^        /* 

Let  p  =  -_— ,p  =  — —  ,P  =  — — —  andp  = ,  (where  A,  a, 

fn  in  n  tn 

A'  and  a'  are  the  areas  A  L  E,  E  D  M,  A'  L'  E'  and  E'  D'  M'  (fig.  2)  whea 

H  and  H'  are  each  =  1)  then  expression  (E)  becomes 

j  2  H»  (A  —  a)  +  2  H'«  (A'  —  a')  +  H  H'  (A  —  a  -|-  A'  -  a)  |  li , 

which,  if  we  assume  the  slope  uniform  throughout  the  excavation,  becomes 


General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula.  167 

-^>^  ,  I  W  +  H'«  4-  (H  +  Uy  I  (A  -a  +  A'  -  a')  ^,      -     (L) 

and  this  subtracted  from  the  above  equation  leaves  us  a  second  correction 

V  3t^       (H2_  H'2)  (A  —  a  —  A'  +  a)  ^-         "        •        '         (M)  r 

When  the  slope  is  uniform  throughout,  our  expression  becomes 

;       I  W  +  H'^  +  (H  +  H'f  I  (A  -  a)^.  .       ,^       .         (N)  ;■ 

H  4-  H' 
But  if  we  had  taken  the  mean  depth  — as  the  uniform  depth  we  should 

have  had  for  the  correction   ,  •  ■-    -■  .. 

which  subtracted  from  equation  (N)  leaves  a  remainder 

(H-HT(A-a)^.  -         .    :    .        (0| 

When  the  depth  is  uniform,  but  not  the  slope,  we  have 

W{A  —  a-{-A'  —  a')^.    •       :  *        *         (1^ 

And  when  the  slope  and  depth  are  both  uniform       ■'     ;,i 

H^(A  — a)L.       -        -        .         •        ..      <a) 

These  expressions  for  "  corrections  for  transverse  slopes"  are  useful  when 
the  slopes  are  taken  in  degrees,  and  their  values  can  readily  be  found  by 
means  of  the  tables  of  areas  and  table  XXII.      -t-i:;;,  i  >  ^:t7::r:;-V,  ;,.^        ./; 

There  is  another  method  of  calculating  the  contents  of  excavation  and  em- 
bankment, which  is  more  convenient  when  the  slopes  are  very  great  and  the 
depths  variable,  which  will  now  be  explained. 

In  fig.  1,  draw  A  O  and  D  P  parallel  to  B  C,  meeting  I^'and  I  E  pro- 
duced in  O  and  P.  Put  E  I  =  H,  A  O  =  W,  and  D  P  =  w,  and  let  the 
corresponding  dimensions  of  a  parallel  section  situated  at  a  distance  L  from 
A  D  I  be  represented  by  H'  W'  and  w'  respectively. 

By  substituting  H  and  W  for  T  and  P,  and  H'  and  W'  for  T'  and  P  in 
equation  (D),  we  have  for  the  content  of  the  solid  included  between  A  E  I 
and  its  corresponding  section 

(2  H  W  +  2  H'  W  -f  H'  W  +  H  W)  ^,    , 

and  the  content  of  the  solid  formed  on  D  E  I  is  '  ;'    >'*'•;; 

\;:^:v;^:.:.:a^^  (2  H  to  +  2  H'  w'  +  H'  w  +  H  w')  :^.         >    .        .     =  '^ 

12 

From  the  sum  of  these  contents  subtract  the  content  of  the  prism  having  for 
a  base  the  triangle  B  C  I  and  we  have  for  the  content  of  the  solid  formed 
on  A  B  C  a 

h2H  +  H')(W  +  i^)  +  (H+2H;i(W  -|-«'')^-?^.    -  (R) 


t- 


168  General  Principles  and  Investigation  of  Formula. 

...1  ■- 
Let  Y,  y  and  Y'  y  represent  the  ratio  of  W.  w,  and  W,  w  to  it  and  H' 
respectively  on  the  values  of  W,  w  and  W,  w  when  H  and  H'  are  each  = 
1.     Then  by  substitution  the  above  equation  for  the  content  becomes 

|2H^(Y  +  y)  +  2H'^(Y'+y')  +  HH'(Y  +  y+Y'+y')|^-^~. 

If  we  assume  the  slope  as  uniform  we  have  for  the  content  *r" -« 

[H'+H-  +  (H  +  H'r|(Y  +  y  +  Y'  +  y')^-^,  -    (S) 
which  subtracted  from  the  above  equation  leaves  a  remainder 

(H«_H-)(Y+y_Y'-y)^.       -         -  (T) 

When  the  transverse  slope  is  constant  the  content  is  1     . . 

[  H^  +  H'^  +  (H  +  Uy  I  (Y  +  y)  ^  -  ^.      -^       -  (V) 

If  the  depth  is  uniform  but  not  the  slope  thd  content  is 

W{Y^y  +  Y'+y')\-^.       -         -  (W) 

When  the  slope  and  depth  are  both  uniform  1 

'    «''Y  +  *)'^-f^-    ■     ■     -     ■     w 

The  values  of  Y  y  Y'  and  y  for  every  d,egree  of  slope  from  1°  upwards 
are  given  in  tables  XXIII,  XXIV,  XXV  and  XXVI  under  the  head  of 
greater  and  lesser  horizontal  distances  and  by  means  of  these  and  table  XXII 
the  values  of  these  equations  can  easily  be  ascertained. 

If  there  is  no  transverse  slope  we  will  have  ■'  '    T 

\ — 2"— +— 13— r^-4^-  •    \  "  /^^ 

Here  it  may  be  observed  that  the  value  of -— — -  m  L  is  given  in 

the  table  of  "  corrections  for  differences  No.  XIV  •  and  that  the  other  terms 

of  the  equation  are  found  in  table  XXII.  1  *^ 

Finally,  if  there  is  no  slope  and  no  variation  in  depth  the  equation  becomes 

Wmh  —  ^^.        -     ^     -.        -        -        -     (Z) 

Note.  If  H*  or  H"*  is  substituted  for  (H  —  H^,  this  remark  will  apply- 
to  all  the  formulae  in  which  L  is  divided  by  12.     The  numbers  in  table  XIV 

are  -jV  of  those  in  table  XXII.     If  «  =  |  or  =  1^  the  expression  ^ — -- — - 

m  L  will  be  found  in  table  VII  or  XXI,  but  if  m  is  any  other  number,  the 
expreasion  must  be  found  in  table  XIV  and  multiplied  by  m. 


■■'r^^^--'\  'n-  •  f<-':.'Vf;  .^"V;/;  i'V^^'fi 


,■.   .V 


.i 


,'  0»  the  Cakulation  oftke  Tables.  IW 

ON  THE  CALCULATION  OF  THE  TABLES.   ' 

The  labor  of  forming  tables  for  calculating  earth  work  may  be  very  mach 
abridged,  by  obtaining  the  first  and  second  differences.      ■''" 
^     In  any  expression  of  the  form  a  x  -\-  b  a?  =  iij  let  a:  be  increased  by  a 
constant  quantity  y  and  become  x-\-y,  x-\-2y,  x-\-Zy,  x-\-4y,  etc. ; 
then  the  successive  values  of  n  will  be     ,  .     /^ 

a  X  -{-  b  a^ 

ax-\-ay-{-b3?-\-2bxy-\-by^ 
>  a  X  +  2  a  y  +  4  z*  +  4  A  z  y  +  4  6  y*      : 

ax-j-3ay-^b3^-{-6bxy-\-9bi^ 

ax-\-4^ay-{'b2?-\-8bxy  + 16  bf,  etc. 

Take  the  difference  between  each  of  these  expressions  and  the  following 
one,  and  we  have  .  ...-^ 

ay  -{-'Hb  x  y  -\-  b  -f 
\  ay -\-2b  xy +  Zbf      v;    > 

;■  ay-\-2bxy-\-bbf        -        : 

>;ir>'iK.i>v::.-rv.:  ;;.'';      ay  +  'Ubxy-^lbf     ^\^:^     i}-^-'.' ^     .    >^ 
These  are  called  the  first.diflerences  and  the  difference  of  theee  differences 

26»y      — ^v.;,;-. 
is  called  the  second  difference. 

Hence  commencing  with  the  first  of  the  first  differences,  the  continued  ad- 
dition of  the  second  difl^enence  produces  the  several  first  difl!erences,  and  these 
added  in  order  to  the  first  value  of  n  will  give  the  successive  values  of  n.  If 
the  equation  is  of  the  form  b  3?  =  n,ox  a  becomes  o,  then  the  first  difference 
\%  'Z  b  x  y  -[-  b  ■f,  and  the  second  difference  is  2  ft  y^,  as  before  found. 

Ijet  us  apply  this  method  to  the  calculation  of  the  tables  of  contents  for 
average  depths.     The  expression  for  the  content  is  (equation  A) 

(B  +  m  D)  D  L  =  B  L  D  +  m  L  D'*.  -V  :   - 

Hence  if  we  suppose  D  to  be  increased  constantly  by  a  quantity  d,  the 
1st  first-  difference,  found  by  substituting  D  and  d  for  x  and  y,  and  B  L  and 
wi  L  for  a  and  6  will  be  ... 

(B  i  +  2  »i  D  (i  +  m  i^)  L, 
and  by  a  similaf  substitution  we  shall  find  for  the  second  difference 

Let  it  be  required  to  calculate  the  contents  answering  to  every  foot  in  depth 
for  a  length  of  100  feet,  base  of  25  feet,  and  slope  of  ^  to  1. 

Here  B  =  25,  L  =  100,  «»  =  i,  D  =  1,  and  d=  \^  and  since  these  quan- 
tities are  given  in  feet,  our  several  results  must  be  divided  by  27  to  reduce 
them  to  cubic  yards.  i.  .  ^ 

255  X  100 

Now  (B  +  f»  D)  D  L  = — —  =  94  444  =  content  for  one  foot 

(Bi  +  2»D(i-|-m^)L  = ^ —  =  98148  =  1st  first  difference 


170 


On  the  Calculation  of  th«  Tables. 


100 


And  3  m  <P  L  = =  3-7037  =  second  difference. 

27  i  •••■-■■■-.?  j'-L-.^fM' 

Hence  the  table  will  be  calculated  as  exhibited  below ;  the  first  differences 
being  severally  formed  by  addition  of  the  second  difference  to  the  preceding 
one,  and  the  table  of  contents  by  the  addition  of  the  corresponding  first  dif- 
ference to  the  preceding  content. 


Depth 

First  Dif. 

Content. 

feet. 

1 

cub.  yds. 

cub.  yds. 

' 

/• , 

• 

94  444 

■  .1 

2 

98148 

192  592 

3 

101852 

294  444 

4 

105  556 

400  000 

■  -  .■  - 

5 

109  529 

509259 

*■ 

6 

112963 

622222 

■^ 

7 

116667 

738889 

■  V    .<<-. 

8 

120  731 

859260 

9 

124074 

983333 

1  . 

10 

l*-:7  778 

1111111 

Let  us  apply  this  method  to  the  calculation  of  a  table  of  corrections  for 

m  1 
differences  and  in  the  equation  (C)  (D  —  df  x  -^n   P'^*  ^  for  D  —  d  and 

12 

let  it  be  constantly  increased  by  a  given  quantity  d'.     Then 
(2  D'  d'  4-  d'*)  -—  =  1st  first  diflTerence, 


■y- 


12 


and 


d'^  m  L 


=  second  diflference. 


If  L  =  100,  D'  =  1,  d'  =  1,  and  m  =  1,  the  1st  first  difference  reduced  to 
cubic  yards  is  -92593,  and  the  second  difference  reduced  also  to  cubic  yards 
is  -61728.     Hence  the  table  will  be  calculated  as  follows : 


.-. 

Dif.  of  depth 

First  dif. 

Correction 

5.  .-    ■ 

■'■        /r,                     ■              -    ■    "* 

in  feet. 

cub.  yds. 

cub.  yds. 

r            ■■-'•'. 

1 

30864 

.,.;..,.  ..A.  v,x,.    /,../ 

2 

92593 

123457 

■      •      i'''       ■'•■'   ■      "■     -: 

• 

3 

154321 

2-77778 

•    :■'■    :.  ".     .  ■ 

. 

4 

216049 

493827 

-'  '■"- :  "...  ■•  ■■  -'• :  .. 

■    -  '    -'■    ■' 

5 

2-77778 

771605 

>''•_  ■        ..'':' ' 

"■^^.'-j,. 

6 

339506 

lllllll 

7 

401234 

1512345 

.1 

■ 'f.. 

-'1^•'■;*          ■    ,        .-      *                      * 

8 

462963 

19  75308 

VV  ,  ■. 

... 

9 

524692 

2500000 

■1:  ■■■;    :_''^'M'\ 

yxf/. 

■  -■ 

10 

586420 

30-86420'          r^^-    .vv> ,.!?-<    . 

>*ii5yV  ■^-^-^-' 


*-r^**  ft  .v?*»  ■' 


-j.^1.*-.  -J*-*  -/-  »    , 


.  ~       Bear  Mountain  Railroad. 

For  the  Ameiican  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine.  /.;.>.. 

BEAR    MOUNTAIN    RAILROAD.       *  ^     '  ■       -        '. 

Having  completed  the  location  of  the  Bear  Mountain  railroad,  and  the 
work  being  now  under  contract,  and  in  progress  of  construction,  I  have 
thought  that  a  statement  of  our  operations  thus  far,  and  a  brief  descriptioa 
of  the  general  features  of  the  road,  might  be  interesting  to  the  readers  of  the 
J.ournal. 

This  road  is  intended  for  the  transportation  of  the  Bear  valley  coal  from 
the  mines  to  the  canal,  and.  as  originally  chartered,  was  to  extend  from 
Rausch  Gap,  in  Schuylkill  county,  through  Lykens  valley,  to  the  head  of 
the  Wiscinisco  canal,  (unfinished)  nineteen  miles  above  Dauphin.     Previous 
to  my  taking  charge  of  the  survey,  some  instrumental  examinations  had 
been  made  to  ascertain  the  feasibility  and  probable  cost  of  the  road  through    ; 
Lykens  valley,  and  trom  these  examinations,  it  was  ascertained  that  a  route  ; 
could  be  obtained  through  this  valley,  with  grades  either  level  or  descending , 
from  the  mines  to  the  canal,  and  with  a  maximum  grade  of  36  feet  per 
mile,. 

The  principal  business  which  this  road  would  probably  transact,  consists 
in  the  transportation  of  coal  and  iron  in  one  direction,  and  the  great  rivalry 
now  existing  between  the  parties  interested  in  the  several  coal  regions,  ren- 
ders it  necessary  that  the  cost  of  this  transportation  should  be  as  low  as  pos- 
sible. In  order  to  ascertain  the  practicability  of  obtaining  a  less  objection- 
able route  for  the  road  than  the  one  originally  contemplated  through  Lykens 
valley,  I  was  induced  to  give  a  most  rigid  and  thorough  examination  to 
the  several  valleys  which  head  near  the  western  extremity  of  this  coal  field ; 
and  as  the  result  of  these  examinations,  we  have  adopted  a  route  wholly  dif- 
ferent from  the  one  originally  contemplated,  by  which  a  saving  of  14  miles 
of  transportation  is  effected,  with  a  termination  at  Dauphin,  19  miles  lower 
down  on  the  canal,  and  but  8  miles  above  Harrisburgh.  In  addition  to  this 
the  road,  as  now  located,  has  for  its  entire  length  (upwards  of  30  miles)  a 
continuous  descending  grade  of  not  less  than  16J,  TU)r  more  than  17|  feet 
per  mile,  with  but  two  points  on  the  line  where  the  grade  changes,  and  the 
minimum  radius  of  curvature  is  19W  feet.  -'::"'■ 

I  am  not  aware  that  there  is  any  railroad  in  the  United  States,  or  in  the 
world,  which,  either  for  the  whole,  or  any  considerable  portion  of  its  length, 
is  so  admirably  adapted  for  the  cheap  transportation  of  freight  in  one  direc- 
tion, and  in  fact,  as  far  as  the  grades  of  a  railroad  affect  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation, I  consider  that  our  road  is  so  located  as  to  reduce  this  sum  to  a 
rainimim:!.  v. -a;: 

It  is  difficult  to  say  what  is  the  greatest  load  that  a  locomotive  could  take 
down  our  road,  but  the  average  loads  of  an  engine  will  of  course  be  limited 
by  the  number  or  weight  of  empty  cars  with  which  it  could  return  to  the 
mines,  ascending  a  grade  of  17^  feet  per  mile. 

It  will  readily  be  seen  that  our  facilities  for  transacting  a  heavy  freight 
business  are  greater  than  upon  any  railroad  yet  constructed,  and  that  for  the 


Coal  Trade.-     '' 

..•  -  '  i 

peculiar  kind  of  transportation,  this  road  is  over  40  per  cent  better  than  a 
perfectly  level  road. 

Our  road  has  several  other  distinctive  features  ;  and  is,  in  many  other  re- 
spects, of  a  most  extraordinary  character. 

My  business  engagements  at  present,  however,  will  not  permit  me  to  en- 
ter more  into  detail ;  but  as  soon  as  I  have  leisure,  I  shall  be  happy  to  fur- 
nish the  Journal  with  sketches  and  drawings  of  several  of  our  works  of  art, 
together  with  a  more  full  description  of  the  road  and  machinery.  ^ 

J.  Spaulding, 

Dauphin,  April  18,  1844.  Chief  Engineer  B.  M.  Railroad. 


COAL   TRADE.  '■_■■.;-■        ■'    "<T,-'^"''     '; 

We  have  received  a  pamphlet  of  some  70  pages  on  the  "  Reading  rail- 
road company,"  by  "  Examiner  ;"  being  "  a  series  of  articles  published  in  . 
the  Pennsylvanian  in  January,  February  and  March,  1844."  The  object  is 
to  counteract  the  "  incendiary  publications"  issued  in  1839  and  1840,  by  the 
Reading  railroad  company.  The  speedy  downfall  of  this  company  is  pre- 
dicted with  great  confidence,  and  an  elaborate  demonstration  is  gone  into—  • 
one  of  the  main  arguments  being  the  rapid  wear  of  the  iron  rails,  a  subject 
on  which  much  has  been  written  for  this  Journal.  The  pamphlet  reiterates 
the  old  story  about  the  "  refuse  rails"  of  the  South  Carolina  railway,  which 
has  been  positively  contradicted  by  our  correispondent  "  Q,,"  in  whose  ^ate- 
ments  every  confidence  may  be  placed. 

There  is  quite  enough  of  the  "  incendiary"  spirit  in  both  of  these  rivals 
for  the  coal  trade.  If  the  capital  of  the  railway  be  eight  millions  of  dollars, 
then  will  it  require  1,380,000  tons,  netting  50  cents  per  ton,  to  pay  the  mo- 
derate interest  of  8  per  cent.  The  Schuylkill  and  other  works  will  of  course 
continue  their  contributions,  and  thus  in  order  to  make  the  Reading  railway 
a  successful  work  the  consumption  must  be  doubled  at  once.  •.•|vj.'o'>i» 

The  tolls  on  the  Schuylkill  canal  are  now  36  cents  per  ton,  or  3  mills 
per  ton  per  mile ;  the  capital  is  about  3^  millions  of  dollars.  To  pay  8  per 
cent  on  this  sum,  will  require  about  700,000  tons  of  coal  p'er  annum,  exclu- 
sive of  other  sources  of  income.  The  Schuylkill  canal  carried  last  year 
447,058  tons  of  coal,  and  "  Examiiier"  estimates  "  the  coal  business  of  the  - 
Schuylkill  field  in  1844"  at  800,000  tons.  (p.  60).  This  is  little  more  than 
enough  for  the  canal,  and  only  two-thirds  of  the  quantity  required  by  the 
railroad. 

The  pamphlet  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company,  published  in 
this  Journal,  gives  detailed  estimates  of  the  cost  of  transporting  coal ;  the 
aggregate  of  all  expenses  being  very  nearly  9^  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  tsx- 
clusive  of  interest.  They  show  that  IJ  cent  per  ton  per  mile  will  yield  a 
fair  profit.  '^ 

On  the  other  hand, "  Examiner,"  (p.  51)  makes  the  following  estimate  for 
the  Reading  railway,  per  ton  per  mile,  descending,  including  taking  back 
the  empty  cars. 


■>-*■•  -^'  I'liiilljii  ilifiliVh  ■'•!  ft'r'-"  '-  '^■'^  -' 


Coal  Trade. 


.j-;-*;-^! 


173 


cst^ 


■-•t  v:,«:^ 


'•J>  '"  '' 


•439 
•662 

•448 
•200 


Locomotive  power,        -  f  ^.^      . V'f'j-  ^r^ V "  :* 

Maintenance  of  way,    ^_  ..   :  -  •  ^/V^i-f^- ,;- 

Maintenance  of  cars,       -  "  ;   >'     *  tt    ir"^ /;     ^  •        -  ■  ?: 

Miscellaneous  charges,  -  -  -  v^:V/    •> 

Ji  ,       Total  in  cents,        -        •     .    *-        .        1-739 

This  is  i^ry  nearly  twice  the  estimate  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  com- 
pany, endorsed  by  Mr.  Latrobe.  As  time  will  shortly  demonstrate  which 
is  the  more  reasonable  view,  further  speculation  is  at  this  time  useless,  and 
we  shall  dismiss  the  subject  after  drawing  attention  to  the  following  circum- 
stance. In  1841  the  Schuylkill  canal  brought  down  584,000  tons,  in  1843 
only  447,058  tons  which  with  the  229,015  tons  per  railroad,  gives  676,073 
tons  from  the  "  Schuylkill  field"  for  that  year.  The  railway  was  not  doing 
enough  to  have  any  influence  on  the  trade  till  last  fall,  yet  the  receipts  of  the 
canal  fell  from  $575,000  in  1841  to  $315,000  in  1842.  The  full  price 
might  have  been  maintained  till  late  in  1843,  and  it  looks  very  much  as  if 
the  canal  company  to  prevent  the  completion  of  the  railway  had  literally 
thrown  away  nearly  half  a  million  of  dollars,  which  would  have  paid  divi- 
dends for  1842  and  1843,  and  left  the  company  in  a  better  state  to  compete 
with  the  railway.  Had  those  entrusted  with  the  direction  of  these  works 
been  actuated  by  the  proper  spirit,  there  could  have  been  no  difficulty  in 
making  an  arrangement  which  would  have  yielded  a  fair  profit  to  both. 
However  much  the  public  may  appear  to  gain  from  the  sacrifices  made  to 
injure  each  other,  it  entertains  no  other  feeling  than  contempt  for  those  who 
thus  squander  large  sums  confided  to  them  by  others  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing fair  dividends  from  undertakings  calculated  to  advance  the  prosperity 
of  the  country.  r ■■''■    . 

In  a  late  number,  the  statement  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  com- 
pany for  1842  was  given,  and  we  now  give  the  statement  of  this  flourishing 
work  for  1843. 
Statement  of  the  business  of  the  Dslaware  and  Hudson  Canal  Co.  for  1843. " 


To  coal  on  hand.  March  I,  1843,  «1!M,691  50 

«    Mining  coal,  107,64.J  93 

"   Railroad  transportation  and  repair*,  103,808  02 
"   Freight  of  coal  to  Rondout,  233,837  68 

"    Canal  repairs  and  superintendance,    77,700  23 
"   Labor  and  expanses  at  Rondout,  21,219  50 

"   InUrest  on  SUte  stork,  38i325  00 

"   Interest  on  company  loan,  2^9  00 

"   Rent*,  salaries,  current  expense*,  etc,  23,927  33 
Balance,  196,701  74 


By  sales  of  coal, 
"  Canal  and  railroad  tolls, 
"  Interest  received, 
"  Coal  on  hand. 


New  Yorh,  March  1,  1844. 


•930,202  93 


By  balance. 


•804,900  74 
30,996  53 
23,251  41 
71,054  2& 


'  f-.V: 


•930^302  88 
•196,7D1  74 


Hence  it  will  be  seen  that  the  cost  of  transportation  on  the  108  miles  of 
canal  was  $233,837,  or  9^  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  and  the  total  cost  from 
the  mines,  126  miles,  was  14^  mills  per  ton  per  mile.  Deducting  mining, 
interest,  rents,  etc.,  and  the  total  charge  may  be  taken  at  $2  80  per  ton,  or 
$0222,  or  nearly  2|  cents  per  ton  per  mile.  The  dividend  amounts  to  87^ 
cents  per  ton,  about  7  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  or  more  than  twice  the  grow 
charges  of  the  Schuylkill  canal !  ,» , . 

Lastly,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  railway,  though  only  16  miles  ^ 


1T4  Duty  on  Railroad  Iron. 

long,  does  one  fourth  of  the  work.  The  coal  is  mined  on  the  west  side  of 
the  mountains,  and  carried  over  the  summit  to  the  canal  on  the  eastern  slope, 
so  that  though  only  one-eighth  of  the  entire  line,  it  has  to  bear  the  brunt 
of  the  fight.  In  fact  this  work  could  scarcely  exist  without  the  railway, 
though  we  believe  that  the  Schuylkill  canal  is  not  equally  dependent  on  that 
mode  of  transportation.  .,?,/.v'  -..tj^;,;* 7; ?• ;-.»;. 

The  high  rates  of.  transportation — as  compared  with  Philadelphia  esti- 
mates— which  coal  affords  on  the  works  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal 
<;ompany,  show  that  that  canal  has  peculiar  advantages.  The  grand,  the 
vital  advantage  is,  that  the  work  is  complete  in  itself  The  company  owns 
from  the  mines  to  the  Hudson,  and  can  now  deliver  coal  at  tide  water  on 
that  river  as  cheaply  as  it  can  be  delivered  in  Philadelphia,  if  the  Miner^ 
Journal  is  correct  in  statin?  that  the  average  cost  of  coal  delivered  in  the  '. 
cars  or  boats  at  Pottsville  is,  on  an  average,  $2  25  per  ton.  We  believe 
that  no  red-ash  coal  can  be  reached  by  any  cheaper  route  than  via  the  Dela- 
ware and  Raritan  canal,  though  the  white-ash  of  the  Wyoming  field  deli- 
vered on  the  Hudson  at  S3  50  per  ton,  yields  10  per  cent,  to  the  Delaware 
and  Hudson  canal  company.  Hence  we  conclude  that  no  inconsiderable 
part  of  the  coal  trade  will  be  from  the  mines  to  the  Hudson,  though  we  ' 
have  no  idea  that  the  present  trade  of  Philadelphia,  or  of  the  Delaware  and  , 
Hudson  canal  company,  is  to  be  diminished  by  new  avenues  skillfully  pro- 
jected, and  destined  to  accommodate  \he  increasing  demand,  and  not  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  supplanting  a  useful  flourishing  work. 

DUTY    ON   RAILROAD    IRON. 

The  Pottsville  Miners'  Journal  has  a  long  article  on  the  iron  trade,  in 
which  the  policy  of  keeping  up  the  present  duty  of  $25  per  ton  on  railroad 
iron  is  warmly  advocated.     It  is  said  that  this  article  can  be  produced  here 
for  $55  per  ton — but  where  ?     Can  it  be  delivered  in  New  York  or  Boston 
for  that  price?     It  is  too  generally  overlooked  that  railways  are,  in  many 
instances,  more  important  to  the  manufacturer  than  any  tariff".     The  cost  of 
transportation  of  the  materials,  ore,  coal,  lime  and  manufactured  article,  is 
one  of  the  grand  items,  and  many  works  now  abandoned  would  be  in  flour- 
ishing operation  if  they  had  a  cheap  communication,  open  throughout  the 
year  with  the  .sea  board.     The  immense  capital  required  for  the  manufacture 
of  railway  iron,  the  uncertainty  of  the  demand,  and  the  very  low  profit  it 
can  afford  under  this  branch  of  the  iron  trade  the  least  desirable  of  all  to  the' 
American  iron  master,  as  well  as  the  very  last  in  which  he  should  engage. 
By  means  of  railways  establish  the  iron  trade  in  all  its  most  profitable 
branches,  and  then,  when  no  other  iron  is  imported,  impose  any  duty  on  rail-  - 
road  iron  which  may  appear  at  that  time  judicious  ;  but  do  not  now  cripple  ' 
the  rising  energies  of  this  best  friend  of  the  farmer  and  manufacturer  for  the  * 
purpose  of  inducing  enterprizing  men  to  embark  in  the  least  profitable  and  '. 
most  uncertain  branch  of  the  trade,  while  such  enormous  quantities  of  iron  '^ 
are  imported  for  the  common  purposes  of  life. 


-iHiittitMTi^j 


The  Screw  Propeller — Steam  Navigation.  175 

/;?  THE    SCREW    PROPELLER STEAM    NAVIGATION. 

At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Liverpool  Polytechnic  society,  the  president, 
John  Grantham,  Esq.,  E.  C,  in  the  course  of  his  annual  address,  said,  that 
finding  he  had  but  few  observations  to  make  on  the  slate  and  prospects  of 
the  society — so  even  had  been  the  tenor  of  its  way  through  all  the  changing 
scenes  of  the  times — he  should  introduce  to  their  notice  a  topic  of  public  in- 
terest, suited  to  the  character  of  their  meetings ;  the  subject  he  alluded  to  was 
the  present  state  of  steam  navigation.  After  some  introductory  observations, 
as  to  the  failure  of  the  science  as  a  profitable  mechanical  speculation,  he 
called  their  attention  to  the  screw  propeller,  as  a  substitute  for  paddle  wheels 
— an  improvement  which  he  had  great  hopes  would  do  much  to  place  steam 
navigation  on  a  firmer  foundation.  Several  short  notices  of  the  screw  pro- 
peller had  appeared  in  scientific  publications,  [See  Mining  Journal  of  the 
38th  October,  for  a  detailed  description,  with  diagram,]  but  they  were  very 
imperfect,  and  little  could  be  gleaned  from  them.  It  had,  however,  been  re- 
ferred to  more  satisfactorily,  in  a  paper  written  by  Mr.  Elijah  Galloway,  the 
patentee  of  paddle  wheels,  in  an  appendix  to  Tredgold's  work  W  the  steam 
engine.  But  the  author  had  not  formed  a  decided  opinion  on  the  question, 
and  did  not  establish  its  superiority.  The  French  claimed  to  be  the  original 
inventors  of  the  screw  propeller,  and  few  would  dispute  with  therm  the  honor 
on  this  point — though  they  also  claimed  the  steam  engine,  which  was  due  to 
the  English.  The  lecturer  here  referred  to  a  French  paper  detailing  the 
performances  of  the  French  war  steamer  Napoleon,  which  were  certainly 
satisfactory ;  and  next  noticed  a  number  of  instances  in  which  the  screw  had 
been  employed,  even  from  the  year  1699.  It  was  also  tried  by  different 
parties  in  1743  and  1763.  In  1802,  the  Doncaster  transport,  which  had 
been  becalmed,  was  worked  into  harbor  at  Malta,  at  the  rate  of  one  and  a 
half  mile  per  hour,  by  eight  men  at  a  spell.  She  went  seven  leagues  with 
a  screw,  and  the  parties  seemed  to  have  contemplated  every  kind  of  propeller 
since  patented  by  others.  In  1825,  the  screw  was  applied  to  a  vessel  in  the 
Thames.  In  1828,  a  patent  was  taken  out  for  a  screw  by  Mr.  Chas.  Cum- 
merow.  In  1832,  M.  Sauvage  also  applied  it.  In  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Woodcroft,  of  Manchester,  took  out  his  patent ;  in  1836,  Mr.  Smith  his ; 
and  in  1838,  Mr.  Ericsson  also  obtained  one.  Cummerow's  and  Smith's 
were  much  alike.  Mr.  Grantham  then  explained  the  principle  of  the  screw, 
or  inclined  plane,  and  its  advantages  over  tne  paddle  wheel,  assuming  for 
argument  sake,  that  simply  as  a  propeller,  there  was  no  preference  to  be 
given  to  either.  He  referred  to  cross  sections  of  two  vessels  of  the  same 
dimensions,  one  with  the  paddles,  and  the  other  with  the  screw ;  also  to  lon- 
gitudinal sections  of  the  same.  By  pointing  to  this,  he  clearly  showed  the 
several  advantages  of  screw  vessels.  There  were  several  kinds  of  screw 
propellers,  but  the  principle  was  the  same  in  all — an  inclined  plane  turned 
round  a  spindle,  or  cylinder.  This  he  showed  by  wrapping  a  piece  of  paper 
in  the  form  of  a  right  angled  triangle  round  a  roller ;  and  the  hypothenuse, 
or  slanting  edge,  of  the  paper,  described  the  worm  of  the  screw,  which 
might  be  made  of  any  pitch.  And  if  a  screw  were  made  to  revolve  in  a 
solid,  by  giving  it  one  revolution,  it  would  move  forward  or  backward,  a 
distance  equal  to  the  pitch.  There  might  be  several  threads  in  the  same 
screw,  but  although  this  constituted  a  difference  in  form,  the  principle  re- 
main^ unaltered.  Mr.  Smith's  first  experiments  were  made  with  a  single 
.'  thread,  or  incline,  wound  round  an  axis,  making  an  entire  revolution,  and 
'  presenting  to  the  eye,  when  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  axis,  the  form  of 
a  complete  disk.  Ericsson's  and  others  consisted  of  a  short  portion  of  the 
screw,  with  many  threads,  or  inclines,  in  some  cases  appearing  to  the  eye, 


176  The  Screw  Propeller — Steam  Navigation 

when  placed  in  the  direction  of  the  axis,  as  a  complete  disk.  [He  here  de- 
scribed the  number  of  blades  o|j  the  screw,  and  how  they  were  formed.] 
Woodcroft,  who  obtained  his  patent  in  1832,  adopted  a  slightly  different  sys- 
tem. Instead  of  the  thread  being  uniform,  and  the  incline  the  same  at  all 
points,  he  proposes  an  increasing  pitch  at  ihe  after  end.  His  object  would 
be  understood  by  considering  a  fish's  tail,  more  particularly  that  of  the  eel. 
In  the  evolutions  made  by  its  body  and  tail,  they  each  continued  to  increase ; 
and,  consequently,  the  rapidity  with  which  it  struck  the  water  increased  also, 
and  compensated  for  the  loss  of  effect  occasioned  to  the  tail  by  the  motion 
given  to  the  water  \)y  the  body.  In  like  manner,  by  giving  this  constantly 
increasing  angle  to  the  screw,  the  same  result  would  follow.  This  he,  Mr. 
Grantham,  conceived  to  be  a  very  beautiful  modification  of  the  original  screw 
propeller.  The  principle  did  not  escape  the  attention  of  others  ;  and  it  was 
to  be  regretted  that  it  had  not  been  tried  earlier  and  made  known.  He  had 
alluded  to  the  plans  of  Messrs.  Smith,  Ericsson  and  Woodcroft,  to  the  first 
two  as  being  best  known,  and  because  he  believed  the  award  of  superiority, 
was,  by  almost  common  consent,  given  to  it.  Mr.  Smith  was  the  originator 
of  a  company  that  built  the  Archimedes — a  vessel  that  circumnavigated  Eng- 
land, and  performed  other  long  voyages.  She  first  drew  public  attention  to 
the  subject.  Great  credit  was  due  to  that  spirited  company,  and  to  Mr.  Smith, 
for  these  experiments,  which  were  conducted  on  a  liberal  scale;  but  this  was 
not  the  first  vessel  that  had  been  propelled  by  a  screw.  Ericsson  had  pre- 
viously done  much,  and  displayed  great  originality  of  thought.  The  form 
of  his  propeller,  aUhough  not  the  subject  of  this  patent,  had  never  yet  been 
surpassed,  and  it  required  only  the  elongated  pitch  to  make  it  the  most  effi- 
cient yet  constructed.  He,  the  lecturer,  was  influenced  by  this  opinion,  when 
recently  called  upon  to  construct  the  small  vessel  called  the  Liverpool  Screw, 
which  had  been  at  work  on  the  Mersey.  He  had  taken  care  net  to  infringe 
any  patent  on  the  screw  he  adopted,  and  was  surprised  to  find,  on  looking 
over  the  list,  thflt  these  valuable  plans  have  been  overlooked.  Several  ex- 
periments had  been  made  by  Messrs.  Brunei,  Claxton  and  (xuppy  at  Bristol, 
under  the  superintendance  of  the  latter,  upon  various  forms  of  screw  in  the 
Archimedes.  In  these  some  curious  facts  were  observed,  and  it  was  then 
suggested  that  it  was  possible  to  propel  a  vessel  faster  by  the  screw,  than  the 
screw  itself  would  have  gone,  had  it  worked  in  a  solid  medium.  He  at  first 
conceived  that  there  was  an  error  in  the  calculations,  but  subsequent  obser- 
vation induced  him  to  believe  it  possible  to  obtain  such  a  result,  and  ihat  all 
vessels  having  the  screw  in  the  dead  wood,  or  run,  ha*e  a  tendency  to  go 
faster  than  the  theoretical  calculation  would  lead  us  to  expect — though  if  this 
tendency  were  increased,  it  would  be  at  a  loss  of  power.  He  accounted  for  it 
by  the  manner  in  which  water  fell  into  the  vacancy  left  as  the  vessel  passed 
onward.  A  similar  operation  might  be  observed  in  watching  the  eddy  form- 
ed by  the  pier  of  a  bridge,  in  which  case  the  body  was  stationary,  and  the 
water  moved,  but  their  relative  positions  were  the  same  in  both.  The  con- 
clusion, therefore,  was,  that  though  the  relative  eflfect  between  the  screw  and 
the  vessel  appeared  to  be  favorable,  yet  that  being  obtained  at  a  great  sacri- 
fice of  power,  such  a  result  might  arise  from  defects  in  the  form  of  the  ves- 
sel, and  was,  therefore,  no  good  indication,  and  that  the  utmost  efficiency 
would  be  obtained,  when  the  speed  of  the  screw  was  from  one-fifteenth  to 
one-twentieth  part  greater  than  that  of  the  vessel.  The  lecturer  then  noticed 
some  of  the  most  remarkable  screw  vessels  that  had  yet  appeared,  and  the 
forms  of  the  propellers  employed,  and  considered  the  difficulties  that  opposed 
the  general  introduction  of  the  screw,  and  showed  that  some  of  the  objections 
to  it  were  groundless.     He  showed,  by  diagrams  of  two  vessels  of  equal  size, 


.N>f»iiyi  k;  Xkisi  of  TransportaHon  on  ttailroads.    '>■_  ''■■.'-' 

that  where  paddle  wheel  vessels  could  not  easily  have  any  beams  over  the  ;    •' 
engine  room,  on  the  plane  of  the  lower  deck,  as  the  engine,  etc.,  rose  to  the 
deck  above,  beams  might  be  introduced  in  screw  vessels  at  that  point,  not  ' 
;"    only  greatly  strengthening  the  vessel  where  she  most  wanted  it,  but  admit- 
■    ing  of  a  clear  range  of  saloons,  or  cabins,  fore  and  aft,  with,  little  or  no  in- 
terruption. 

A  short,  interesting  discussion  took  place,  in  the  course  of  which  the  chair- 
man ably  and  convincingly  replied  to  ihe  questions  propounded,  on  the  sup-    .  , 
posed  lateral  pressure  of  the  screw. — Mining  Journal.  ., 


' ''''■'■       ""■"'     COST    OF    TRANSFORTATION    ON    RAILROADS. 

The  cost  of  transportation  on  railways  is  the  most  important  engineering 
topic  at  this  time  before  the  public.  Hence  every  circumstance  in  any  way 
elucidating  the  subject,  even  in  a  very  small  degree,  is  worthy  of  attention. 
In  1843,  the  freight  on  the  Western  railroad  was  equal  to  60,350  tons  carried 
156  miles,  or  9,414,621  tons  carried  one  mile,  the  average  load  being  47|- 
tons  per  train,  nett.  The  passenger  trains  ran  216,139  miles,  the  merchan- 
dize trains  197,603  miles,  miscellaneous  trains  27,866,  in  all  441,608  miles. 
The  total  cost  was§283,826  43,  or  64^  cents  per  mile  run.  If  we  assume 
ti^  cost  of  all  the  trains  to  be  equal,  this  would  give  1-34  cents  per  ton  per 
mile  with  trains  averaging  about  half  the  power  of  the  engines,  and  overcom- 
ing grades  of  84  feet  ner  mile,  at  an  average  velocity  of  15  miles  per  hour. 
With  a  speed  of  8  miles  per  hour,  and  grades  of  from  35  to  40  feet  per  mile, 
twice  the  load  would  be  taken  without  any  additional  expense  than  the  load- 
ing, unloading  and  wear  of  cars,  say  3  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  making  the 
total  cost  96  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  exclusive  of  renewal  of  track.  If  the  ett- 
gine  can  take  150  tons,  all  expenses  including  repairs  and  renewals  would 
not  exceed  one  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  which  is  about  the  estimate  of  the  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio  railroad  companj^  as  given  in  our  last  number.  As  the 
cost  of  the  freight  trains  is  not  given  separately,  we  have  assumed  the  cost  to 
be  equal.  /;;  : 

The  receipts  for  merchandize  were  $275,606  19,  or  %^  57  per  ton,  or 
$-0299,  say  3  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  and  this  "  exceeded  the  entire  expense 
of  conducting  the  business  of  the  road."  The  total  amount  paid  for  trans- 
portation on  the  Erie  canal  is  estimated  at  from  4^  to  5  millions  of  dollars 
for  carrying  nearly  400,000  tons  a  distance  of  363  miles.  This  gives  very 
nearly  3  cents  per  ton  (of  2000  pounds)  per  mile.  Again,  the  statement  of 
the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  company  gave  2^  cents  per  ton  per  mile 
as  the  amount  received  in  1843.  Could  the  Western  railroad  run  with  full 
trains  at  a  low  rate  of  speed,  and  be  sure  of  200,000  tons  of  freight  per  an- 
num, it  does  appear  to  us  that  it  could  carry  quite  as  cheaply  as  any  canal 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  supposing  both  to  yield  not  less  than  8  per  cent 
on  their  capital.  Where  dividends  are  passed  by,  as  on  the  public,  and,  we 
are  sorry  to  say,  on  some  of  the  private  works  of  Pennsylvania,  they  can 
of  course  carry  more  cheaply  than  those  who  do  not  choose  "  to  work  f<ff 
nothing  and  find  themselves."  ■;Tiif 


178      Spark  Arrester. — Railway  Communication  through  France. 


SPARK   ARRESTER.  ^;, 

M  We  have  in  our  office  a  very  neat  model  of  Messrs.  French  and  Baird's 
Fiff.  1.  patent  "  Spark  Arrester."     In  the  accompa-^ 

nying  wood  cut,  (fig.  1,)  is  a  vertical  section 
through  the  axis,  in  which  P  is  the  smoke- 
pipe,  from  which  the  steam  and  the  sparks 
pass  through  the  "  volutes"  v,  (figs.  1  and  2) 
into  the  chamber  C,  in  the  manner  represented 
by  the  arrows.  The  centrifugal  force  gene- 
rated by  the  "volutes,"  forces  the  sparks 
against  the  outer  side  of  the  chamber  C,  in 
which  are  numerous  openings  o,  through 
which  they  fall  down  between  the  smoke- 
pipe  and  the  outer  casing.  The  steam  escapes 
through  the  perforated  plates  d,  which,  from 
their  arrangement  present  a  very  large  sur- 
face for  that  object.  The  peculiarities  of  this 
arrangement  are  the  application  of  the  cen^i- 

fugal  force  as  above  described,  and  the  mode  of  increasing  the  surface  of  the 

wire-cloth,  or  perforated  sheets  of  metal,  without  increasing  the  diameter  of 

Fig.  2.  the  pipe,  by  means  of  joining  the  rings  at 

their  upper  and  lower  edges  alternately,  as 

seen  in  fig.  1,  d. 

It  has  been  in  use  for  some  time  on  the 
Georgia,  Philadelphia,  Germantown  and 
Norristown,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore,  Lex- 
ington and  Ohio  railways,  and  we  have  seen 
flattering  testimonials  from  the  superinten- 
dants  of  all  these  works.  The  very  best 
workmanship  is  indispensable ;  and  experi- 
ence has  shown  that  certain  parts  require  the 
material  to  be  of  peculiar  strength  and  quality.  When  in  perfect  order,  it 
has  been  stated  to  us,  that,  in  running  in  the  night,  there  is  scarcely  ever  a 
spark  to  be  seen. 

The  cut  gives  only  a  general  idea  of  the  "  modus  operandi,"  and  nume- 
rous views  and  sections  would  be  necessary  to  give  a  working  plan.  Messrs. 
French  and  Baird  are  established  in  Philadelphia. 

RAILWAY  COMMUNICATION  THROUGH  FRANCE. 

*-  We  find  in  the  April  number  of  the  "  London  Polytecnic  Magazine  and 
Journal  of  Science,"  the  following  article  in  relation  to  railways  in  France, 
by  William  Bridges. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1841,  afler  two  years  of  legislative  talk  in  the 
French  chambers,  in  the  course  of  which,  sometimes  the  principle  of  leaving 
everything  to  private  enterprise,  sometimes  the  necessity  of  government  con- 


c  'ji  ■.,- ~*-;^ii"r'". -■-■•. '^ -'  .  ■   ^,  ■     -  ■     .™^^*<\- 


Railway  Com  munieaiion  through  France,  179 

trol  and  supervision,  sometimes  the  advantages  of  both  methods  was  insisted 
on,  discussed  and  negatived,  the  speech  of  the  French  king  led  France  to 
expect  that  something  would  finally  be  done  to  put  France,  as  respects  rail- 
way communication,  on  a  level  with  the  rest  of  Europe.  And  it  was  full 
time  ;  Belgium  had  already  completed  80  leagues ;  Germany  180 ;  England 
1400  miles  ;  France  nothing.  And  even  in  April,  1842,  it  is  stated  in  part 
IV  of  the  commercial  tariffs  and  regulations,  presented  to  the  British  par- 
liament, that  French  railroad  communication  embraced  a  very  bad  line  from 
St.  Etienne  to  Lyons,  one  from  Paris  to  St.  Germain,  and  two  from  Paris  to 
Versailles.  In  the  royal  speech  referred  to,  several  important  lines  were 
announced  as  under  consideration ;  among  others,  a  line  connecting  Paris 
with  Lille  and  Calais.  It  was  fairly  anticipated  that  such  a  line,  forming  a 
connecting  link  not  only  between  Paris  and  London,  but  also  between  Eng- 
land and  Belgium  by  way  of  Lille,  and  by  means  of  the  Belgian  railways, 
with  the  Rhine,  would  be  most  valuable  to  English  interests  ;  while  another 
proposed  to  Lyons  would  facilitate  the  overland  passage  to  the  east,  as  this 
one  to  Berlin  and  the  north  of  Europe. 

A  few  months  after  the  announcement  by  the  king  of  the  intention  on  the 
part  of  government  to  bring  in  a  measure  for  the  encouragement  of  railway 
undertakings,  a  bill  was  submitted,  and  after  some  discussion  became  law  on 
the  11th  of  June,  1842.  By  this  law  it  was  resolved  to  establish  a  national 
system  of  railways,  to  unite  France  with  Belgium,  England,  Germany,  the 
Mediterranean  and  Spain  ;  and  to  give  a  stimulus  to  internal  traffic.  The 
mode  proposed  to  give  effect  to  these  objects  was  one  unsuitable,  perhaps,  to 
the  English  commercial  spirit,  but  rendered  absolutely  necessary  in  France, 
from  the  difficulties  which  had  been  experienced,  and  the  fearful  jobbing 
which  had  taken  place  in  the  prosecution  of  the  few  private  railway  specu- 
lations which  had  been  already  entered  into.  The  French  government,  see- 
ing that  hitherto  a  few  great  millionaires  had  engrossed  every  undertaking 
of  this  character,  undertook  now  to  provide  the  land,  and  execute  all  the 
earth  works,  tunnels,  bridges,  etc. ;  the  portion  left  to  private  enterprize  be- 
ing less  precarious,  extending  only  to  the  laying  on  of  the  ballast,  the  for- 
mation of  the  permanent  way,  with  the  supply  of  locomotive  power,  car- 
riages and  material  for  working.  The  valuation  of  all  lands  for  which 
compensation  was  required  was  to  be  left  to  a  jury ;  a  most  wise  regulation, 
and  one  which  this  country  would  do  well  to  imitate.  One-third  of  this  com- 
pensation was  to  be  borne  by  the  State,  the  remainder  by  the  departments 
and  parishes  whose  interests  were  affected  by  the  line. 

Under  this  law  a  very  important  line  has  been  completed  to  Rouen,  and 
is  now  in  further  progress  towards  Havre ;  so  that  we  may  speedily  expect 
to  be  put  within  a  twelve  hours'  journey  to  Paris.  We  perceive  now  that 
an  extension  of  the  line  eastward  is  in  contemplation,  to  the  very  banks  of 
the  Rhine,  to  connect  London,  Havre,  Paris  and  Strasburg ;  and  as  the  last 
of  these  cities  forming  the  terminus  of  a  direct  line  across  the  richest  and 
most  industrious  districts  of  France,  is  also  the  intended  point  of  convergence 
for  all  the  national  railroads  of  Germany,  the  national  and  international 
benefits  of  such  a  line  can  hardly  be  over  estimated.  The  distance  from 
Havre  to  Paris  is  144  miles,  from  Paris  to  Strasburg  286  miles,  almost  ex- 
•  actly  double ;  the  aggregate  length  of  the  journey  is  therefore  430  miles, 
one  railway  hour  further  than  from  London  to  Edinburgh.  To  traverse 
this  route  under  present  means  of  intercommunication,  to  transport  the  wines 
and  grain  and  innumerable  herds  of  La  Brie  and  the  Moselle,  or  the  pro- 
duce of  the  growing  factories  of  Alsace,  the  continental  Lancashire,  between 
and  among  the  various  towns  and  cities  of  Paris  and  Strasburg,  Chateau 


180  Ship  Canal 


•4*     i.-i-  ' 


Thierry,  Nancy  and  the  valleys  of  the  Maine  and  the  Saverne,  is  a  work, 
which,  to  the  Englishman,  accustomed  to  the  comfort  and  expedition  of  his 
Great  Westerns  and  Midland  Counties,  and  other  railway  facilities,  would  be 
appalling  enough,  considering  that  the  actual  traffic  extends  to  upwards  of 
100,000  French  tons  per  annum,  and  an  aggregate  of  200,000  passengers 
via  Strasburg  to  and  from  the  Germanic  provinces. 

The  country,  commencing  at  the  Strasburg  end  of  this  great  "  thoroug- 
fare,"  is  the  continental  United  States — the  provinces  of  ZoUverein,  contain- 
ing nearly  30,000,000  of  inhabitants,  and  nearly  200,000  square  miles  of 
fertile  territory.  The  high  duties  of  that  league — or  rather  its  vexatious  and 
unequal  duties — ^that  on  cotton  alone  varying  from  3  to  120  per  cent,  on  the 
value,  being  levied  on  the  same  principle  as  that  upon  tea  in  England,  favor- 
ing the  rich  at  the  expense  of  the  poorer  classes,  taken  in  conjunction  with 
our  restrictive  commercial  policy,  have  had  the  effect  of  unduly  diverting 
capital  in  an  agricultural  country  to  commercial  and  manufacturing  enter- 
prize  ;  the  factories  of  Baden,  now  300  in  number,  more  than  doubled  in 
the  course  of  seven  or  eight  years,  while  the  Saxon  spinning  establishments 
and  stocking  frames  advanced  more  rapidly  in  three  years  towards  1840, 
than  in  thirty  years  previous.  Seeing  that  England  now  sends  100,000 
cwts.  of  cotton  wool  to  this  wool  growing  country,  we  may  be  convinced 
that  there  is  something  "  rotten  in  the  State  of  Denmark,"  which,  perhaps, 
is  to  be  corrected  more  by  such  facilitation  of  social  intercourse  as  we  here 
discuss,  than  by  a  modification  of  our  tariflls.  At  the  Leipsic  fair,  at  least, 
we  know  that  the  market  is  inundated  with  smuggled  English  manufactures. 
A  new  facility  to  smuggling  will  lead  to  such  measures  of  policy  as  will 
substitute  honest  and  open  national  traffic  for  contraband  dealing.  It  is  in 
this  manner  that  the  healthy  interchange  of  the  agricultural  products  of 
France  and  Germany  and  the  manufactures  of  England  will  alone  be  re- 
stored ;  or  if  it  is  now  too  late  to  look  to  the  German  States  for  a  market  for 
our  cottons  and  calicos,  let  us  even,  if  we  can  transport  nothing  else,  be  glad 
to  find  a  ready  and  ever  open  conveyance  for  our  machinery  to  supply  the 
looms  of  Alsace,  and  the  spinning  establishments  of  Prussia.  ^ 


SHIP   CANAL. 

Through  the  politeness  of  Col.  Abert,  of  the  bureau  of  topographical  en- 
gineers, Washington,  who  will  please  accept  our  thanks,  we  have  received  ' 
several  reports ;  and,  among  others,  one  in  relation  to  the  construction  of  a 
ship  canal  around  the  falls  of  St.  Mary,  in  Michigan,  which  we  give  entire, 
except  the  map. 

Report  of  the  secretary  of  war,  vommunicating  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of 
constructing  a  ship  canal  round  the  falls  of  St.  Mary. 

War  Department,  Jan.  4,  1844.  * 
Sib.  :  In  pursuance  of  the  resolution  of  the  Senate  passed  on  the  27th  ult, 
I  transmit,  herewith,  a  report  from  the  bureau  of  topographical  engineers, 
with  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  connecting  lakes  Huron  and  Superior  by 
means  of  a  canal  round  the  falls  of  St.  Mary,  adapted  to  navigation  by  steam. 
vessels. 

As  the  resolution  calls  for  any  estimates  of  the  cost  of  this  work  in  the 
possession  of  the  department,  the  colonel  of  the  corps  of  topographical  en- 
gineers has  given  the  plan  and  estimate  of  Mr.  Almy,  made  in  1837,  for  the 
description  of  canal  therein  contemplated.  But,  deeming  the  resolution  to 
look  to  a  canal  of  larger  dimensions,  he  has  added  his  own  plan  and  estioiatA 


•/r"'j:^  'f«^*3*"  "\.T»  V  i^p^jf^«r^ '^ 


Ship  CaneU.  ^^      ;  181 

for  a  canal  "  adapted  to  navigation  by  steam  vessels,"  based  on  the  best  in- 
formation which  he  could  obtain  in  relation  to  the  subject  •'-.•,.-: 
J..                 Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

i-  J.    M.    POETER. 

Hon.  W.  P.  Mangum,  President  of  the  Senate.  -':*£?   ''"     j 

Bureau  of  Topographical  Engineers. 

Washington.  Jan.  3,  1844. 

Sib.  :  In  obedience  to  your  direction,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  an  esti- 
mate for  a  canal,  "connecting  lake  Huron  and  lake  Superior,  adapted  to  na- 
vigation by  steam  vessels,"  called  for  by  a  resolution  of  the  Senate  of  the 
27th  instant. 

As  there  has  never  been  a  survey  of  that  locality  for  such  a  purpose  by 
this  office,  I  am  without  those  elements  for  an  estimate  upon  which  the  office 
usually  relies. 

In  the  absence  of  such  information,  resort  has  been  had  to  a  survey  made 
by  Mr.  J.  Almy,  in  1837.  Mr.  Almy  was  an  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the 
State  of  Michigan.  Also,  in  anticipation  that  information  of  the  kind  now 
called,  for  would  probably  be  required  during  the  present  session,  a  letter  was 
addressed  to  Capt.  Johnston,  at  Fort  Brady,  in  July  last,  proposing  certain 
queries  having  reference  to  this  canal,  which  he  was  desired  to  have  inves- 
tigated and  answered.  His  answer  of  last  September  is  hereto  annexed,  to- 
gether with  the  information  asked  for,  which  was  collected  with  much  care 
by  LieuL  Handy,  of  the  5th  infantry. 

This  information,  together  with  the  survey  of  Mr.  Almy,  will  enable  me 
to  submit  an  estimate  upon  which  reliance  may  be  placed. 

Mr.  Almy's  survey,  report  and  estimate  are  hereto  annexed.  His  estimate 
amounts  to  $112,544,  which  would  probably  be  sufficient  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  canal  of  the  kind  and  dimensions  contemplated  in  his  report. 

But  the  resolution  of  the  Senate  contemplates  a  canal  "  adapted  to  naviga- 
tion by  steam  vessels."  A  canal  for  such  a  purpose  involves  considerations 
that  will  much  enhance  the  cost  beyond  the  estimate  of  Mr.  Almy.  The 
government  steamer,  Michigan  is  167  feet  long,  47  feet  wide,  draws  8  feet 
water,  and  is  of  600  tons  burden.  Freight  vessels  of  these  dimensions  would 
draw  more  water,  as  they  are  generally  more  heavily  laden ;  and,  from  the 
beet  information  I  have  been  able  to  collect,  a  draught  of  ten  feet  is  the  least 
which  can  with  safety  be  adopted  for  the  largest  class  of  lake  steamers.  Nor 
can  less  than  two  feet  of  water  below  the  bottom  of  the  boat  be  adopted  for 
the  canal.  These  dimensions  give  data  for  the  size  of  the  canal  and  of  the 
locks,  viz :  for  the  canal,  100  feet  wide  and  12  feet  deep ;  for  the  locks,  200 
feet  long  and  50  feet  wide. 

The  difference  of  level  (according  to  the  survey)  between  lake  Superior 
and  lake  Huron  is  about  21  feet,  which  is  supposed  to  divide  into  three  lifts. 
The  locks  should  be  collected  together  at  the  lower  end,  in  steps,  without  in- 
tervening basins,  as  exhibited  in  red  lines  upon  the  plan,  and  should  be  in 
double  sets  ;  one  set  for  the  ascending  and  one  for  the  descending  trade.  The 
towing  path  to  be  three  feet  above  the  water  line,  and  where  this  path  is 
upon  the  embankment  it  should  be  twelve  feet  wide ;  the  berm  upon  the  op- 
posite side  to  be  six  feet  wide ;  the  canal  to  be  without  lateral  slope,  but  to 
have  the  same  width,  except  as  to  batter  of  side  walls,  at  bottom  as  at  the 
water  surface ;  the  sides  of  the  canal  to  be  maintained  or  reveted  with  dry 
stone  walls.  The  dry  masonry  of  these  walls  to  be  three  feet  wide  at  top, 
and  five  feet  wide  at  bottom ;  but  where  the  excavation  exhibits  a  sufficiently 
firm  rock  facing,  these  dimensions  may  be  reduced.     The  extension  of  the 


188        '  '  '      Ship  Canal, 

work  into  lake  Superior  will  have  to  be  about  800  feet,  before  a  sufficient 
depth  is  obtained,  and  there  will  probably  have  to  be  some  excavation  under 
water  at  the  lower  end  of  the  canal,  although  the  profile  of  Mr.  Almy  does 
not  exhibit  its  necessity. 

The  total  length  of  the  canal  line  from  water  to  water,  exclusive  of  the 
extension  of  work  into  the  lake,  is  about  4,400  feet,  throughout  a  part  of 
which  an  embankment  will  have  to  be  raised,  as  exhibited  in  the  profile.  A 
pier  to  protect  the  entrance,  of  the  canal,  supplied  with  belaying  posts,  wijl 
have  to  be  extended  for  about  800  feet  into  lake  Superior,  upon  the  southern 
side  of  the  canal.  ^,- 

As  lake  Superior  has,  from  various  causes,  a  difl^erence  in  its  level  of  about 
four  feet,  it  will  be  necessary  to  construct  a  guard  lock  at  the  junction  of  the 
canal  with  that  Jake ;  and,  also,  in  order  that  the  water  may  be  occasionally 
shut  off  for  purposes  of  cleaning  and  repairing  the  canal.  And  in  conse- 
quence of  variations  of  level  in  the  water  below  the  falls,  the  last  st t  of  locks 
in  the  series  at  the~  lower  end  of  the  canal  may  have  in  their  construction  to 
embrace  the  considerations  due  to  lift  and  guard  locks. 

The  prices  for  the  excavation  are  taken  from  Mr.  Almy's  estimate ;  those 
for  the  embankment  and  dry  walling  from  data  in  this  office ;  tliose  for  the 
a  report  of  Capt.  Williams  for  a  canal  to  overcome  the  falls  at 
Niagara^  as  it  is  not  supposed  that  works  of  this  kind  can  be-done  for  less  at 
St.  Mary's  than  at  Niagara. 

The  difTerence  between  the  estimates  (that  of  Mr.  Almy  and  that  now  sub- 
mitted) arises  principally  from  differences  of  dimensions  in  the  two  plans, 
and  from  those  considerations  which  belong  to  a  canal  adapted  to  steam  na- 
vigation, and  to  the  active  trade  which  the  canal  will  have  to  accommodate. 

In  works  of  this  kind  we  should  avoid  the  mistake  committed  at  Louis- 
-~ — jrille,.  which  already,  in  the  judgment  of  so  many,  renders  the  construction 
^of  a  second  canal  at  that  locality  necessary. 

The  cost  of  constructing  this  canal  would  be  very  much  reduced  if  the  U. 
States  troops  were  employed  upon  it.  A  detachment  of  about  five  hundred 
men  would  accomplish  the  object  by  the  usual  roster  details,  and  the  diffe- 
rence of  cost  would  be  in  the  difference  between  the  usual  piicfe  of  labor, 
and  the  allowance  of  15  cents  per  day  to  the  soldier  when  so  employed. 
The  employment  of  the  army  upon  such  works,  in  times  of  peaco,  is  cus- 
tomary with  all  other  nations,  and  I  can  see  no  sound  objection  to  the  adop- 
tion of  the  practice  in  our  service.  Such  occupation  is  no  injury  to  the  dis- 
cipline, while  it  preserves  the  bodily  health  and  mental  vigor  of  the  men, 
and  increases  their  efficiency  and  usefulness  for  their  ordinary  duties.  These 
considerations  are,  however,  not  involved  in  the  estimate. 

ESTIMATE. 

Guard  lock  at  lake  Superior,                     -                   -                   -  $27,897  00 

For  cutting  18,500  cubic  yards  of  rock  under  water,  at  $1  50  per  yard,  27,750  00 

For  cutting  89,920  cubic  yards  of  rock,  at  SI  per  yard,  -  89,920  00 
For  excavating  8,647  cubic  yards  of  sandy  loam  and  vegetable  mould  on  top 

of  the  rock,  at  20  cents  per  yard,          ...  1,729  40 

Do.    do.     1 13,607  c.  yds.  loam,  gravel,  vegetable  mould,  etc.,  hi  25  cts.  per  yd.,  28,401  75 

For  embanking  15,600  cubic  yanls,  at  12  cents  per  yard,                 -  1,872  00 

For  11,555  cubic  yards  of  dry  masonry  wall,  at  S2  per  yard,                   -  23,110  00 

For  three  double  locks,  at  $66,715  each,  -                   -                    -  200,145  00 

JFor  a  pier  800  feet  long  and  12  feet  wide,         -                   -                 f  t-J  >  12.000  00 

Contingencies,  10  per  cent.,  -                   -                   •                   -  41,282  51 

ToUl,  .  .  »  -  .  454,107  66 

Respectfully  submitted  by,  sir,  your  ob'L  serv't,  J.  J.  Abert, 

Col.  Corps  Topographical  Engineers. 
Hon.  J.  M.  Porter,  Secretary  of  War. 


"-;■/:-  .  ■":■■■-■-■  '     -  -I 


-S%ip  CanoZ.  183 

,^*ti*:*<4?:: >■  ,K  ■ ;;.     :>"/•-  ^^^^  Brady,  Michigan,  Sept.  29,  184a 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  enclose,  herewith,  answers  to  your  queries  of 
July  25th. 

The  necessary  examinations  have  been  made  by  Lieutenant  Handy,  6th 
infantry. 

As  far  as  I  can  judg-e,  having  been  over  part  of  the  ground,  and  from  re- 
ports of  others,  I  think  he  is  as  correct  as  he  assumes  to  be ;  wanting,  as  he 
mentions,  instruments  necessary  to  exactness. 

Permit  me  to  add,  that  Lieut.  Handy,  besides  willingly  undertaking  this 
duty,  has,  I  think,  shown  both  diligence  and  skill  in  the  performance  of  it. 

I  am,  sir,  with  respect,  your  obedient  servant,  A.  Johnston, 

Capt.  6th  Infantry,  commanding  Fort  Brady." 

Col.  Abert,  Chief  Topographical  Engineer,  Washington. 

Fort  Brady,  Michigan,  Sept.  8,  1843. 
Sir  :  In  conformity  with  instructions  contiined  in  your  letter  of  July  25th, 
requesting  information  in  reference  to  the  practicability  of  a  canal  route  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Saift  de  Ste.  Marie,  Michigan,  I  have  the  honor  to  lay 
before  you  the  result  of  my  observations,  having  been  detailed  for  this  duty 
by  Capt.  Johnston,  commanding  Fort  Brady.     You  desire  to  know, 

1st.  "  What  kind  of  soil  does  the  projected  canal  pass  over  ?" 

From  the  upper  or  western  extremity  of  the  canal  line  to  the  mill  race, 
(a  distance  equal  to  about  half  of  its  length,)  the  soil  consists  of  vegetable 
mould,  underlaid  by  a  bed  of  red  sandstone  rock,  of  a  very  soft  nature,  and 
very  thinly  stratified — the  strata,  in  many  instances,  not  exceeding  an  inch 
in  thickness.  The  adhesion  between  the  strata,  in  many  places  along  the 
canal  line,  is  so  slight  that  they  can  be  easily  removed  with  the  hand.  From 
the  mill  race  to  the  lower  or  eastern  extremity  of  the  line,  the  soil  consists 
generally  of  sand  and  loam,  interspersed  with  boulders  of  granite,  gneiss,  etc., 
varying  in  size  from  two  to  four  feet  diameter.  Most  of  these  boulders  are 
of  a  very  good  material  for  building,  and  would  be  serviceable  in  the  con- 
struction of  locks,  etc.  In  many  places  along  the  line,  the  soil  is  of  a  very- 
permeable  nature,  so  much  so,  that  upon  breaking  ground,  the  water  makes 
rapidly.  '  ^ 

2d.  "  Is  the  rock  near  the  surface,  or  what  distance  from  the  surfiice,  ge- 
nerally, in  the  extent  of  the  line  ?" 

The  average  depth  of  the  rock  below  the  surface,  for  the  distance  above 
mentioned,  is  about  one  foot.  In  some  places,  it  is  only  six  inches  ;  in  others, 
more  than  five  feet  below  it — the  strata  dipping  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the 
tine  of  the  canal 

3d.  "  What  is  the  depth  of  the  water  near  the  shore,  at  each  end  of  the 
canal  line,  and  what  distance  from  the  shore  before  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet  is 
attained?" 

The  average  depth  of  water  at  the  lower  end  of  the  line,  for  a  distance  of 
about  60  feet  from  the  shore,  is  2^  feet,  when  it  suddenly  deepens  to  6  or  8 
feet  The  shortest  distance  from  the  shore  at  which  a  depth  of  15  feet  is  at- 
tained, is  52  yards.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  line,.the  average  depth  of  water 
is  from  2^  to  4  feet.  To  attain  a  depth  of  15  feet,  it  is  necessary  to  go  about 
226  yards  from  the  shore,  in  a  line  forming  an  angle  of  about  forty  degrees 
with  the  canal  line.  Following  the. direct  line  of  the  canal,  it  would  be  ne- 
cessary to  proceed  up  the  river  several  miles  before  a  depth  of  15  feet  could 
be  attained,  for  the  water  continues  at  a  uniform  depth  of  about  one  fathom 
for  a  very  considerable  distance  along  the  American  side  of  the  river,  so  that 
it  is  necessary  to  proceed  out  some' distance  in  a  direction  at  right  angles  with 


184  Ship  Canal.  - 

the  line  of  the  shore  to  strike  the  channel.  Upon  reaching  the  channel,  the 
water  suddenly  deepens  to  several  fathoms  ;  the  bed  of  the  river,  at  this  point, 
sloping  off  very  abruptly,  at  an  angle  of  about  30  degrees.  ,, 

5th.  "  Is  the  bottom  at  both  ends  mud  or  rock?" 

The  bottom  at  the  lower  end  of  the  line  consists  generally  of  sand,  under- 
laid by  a  stratum  of  hard  clay,  with  here  and  there  a  bed  of  sandstone  rock 
of  trifling  extent.  ' 

At  the  upper  end  the  bottom  consists  of  an  extended  bed  of  sandstone  rock ; 
being  a  continuation  of  the  bed  before  described  as  underlaying  the  canal  line 
for  about  half  of  its  extent.  This  rock  extends  to  a  distance  of  several  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  shore,  and  is  overlaid  by  a  stratum  of  sand,  averaging 
about  one  foot  and  a  half  in  thickness. 

6th.  "  Are  there  any  shoal  places  below  Fort  Brady  sufficient  to  obstruct 
first  class  lake  steamers,  in  a  passage  up  to  near  the  lower  end  of  the  canal  ?" 

About  20  miles  below  Fort  Brady,  at  a  widening  of  the  river  known  as 
lake  George,  there  is  a  bar  of  very  hard  clay,  underlaid  by  a  substance  re- 
sembling quicksand  in  its  properties.  As  this  bar  extends  completely  across 
the  lake,  all  vessels  navigating  the  river  ar^ompelled  to  pass  over  it.  The 
depth  of  water  upon  it  is  very  variable ;  sometimes  exceeding  nine  feet,  and 
sometimes,  though  rarely,  not  exceeding  six.  The  average  depth  may  be 
laid  down  at  seven  feet.  It  has  frequently  been  crossed  by  the  largest  class 
of  steamers  at  present  navigating  the  lakes.  This  is  the  only  obstruction  of 
importance  between  Fort  Brady  and  the  mouth  of  the  river,  though  the 
channel  is  very  winding,  rendermg  the  navigation  rather  intricate. 

It  would  perhaps  be  as  well  to  state  that  the  Mater  in  the  St.  Mary's  river 
is  much  higher  at  some  seasons  than  at  others ;  and  it  is  at  pres(  nt  higher, 
by  upwards  of  two  feet,  than  it  has  been  for  some  years  past.  In  ascertain- 
ing the  distance  to  which  it  is  necessary  to  go  from  each  end  of  the  canal 
for  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet,  I  have  therefore  made  some  allowance  for  this  un- 
usual, rise  of  the  water.  • 

I  would  also  remark,  that  owing  to  a  want  of  proper  instruments,  my  ol>- 
servations,  respecting  distances,  etc.,  are  not  made  with  that  accuracy  with 
which  I  should  otherwise  have  been  enabled  to  make  them  ;  but  I  trust  they 
will  prove  sufficiently  accurate  for  all  practical  purposes. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respct.'y,  your  ob't  serv't,     J.  O.  Handy, 

Brevet  2d  Lieut,  bth  Infantry.  • 

Col.  J.  J.  Abert,  Chief  of  the  Topographical  Bureau. 

Sepitmber,  1837. 

Sir:  In  pursuance  of  my  appointment  from  you  as  engineer,  and  in  pur- 
suance of  an  act  of  the  legislature,  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit,  herewith, 
the  survey  and  estimate  of  the  expense  of  constructing  a  ship  canal  around 
the  falls  of  St.  Mary  ;  also,  maps  and  profiles  showing  the  location  of  the 
proposed  line  of  canal,  together  with  the  depth,  quantity  and  quality  of  the 
excavation. 

Having  had  the  honor  of  being  one  of  a  special  committee  to  whom  was 
submitted  for  consideration,  at  the  last  session  of  the  legislature,  the  project 
of  uniting  the  water  of  lake  Superior  with  lake  Huron  by  a  ship  canal,  and 
having  been  also  identified  with  all  the  subsequent  proceedings  as  the  friend 
and  advocate  of  the  proposed  work,  yet  I  hope  that  neither  of  these  circum- 
stances has  had  any  influence  with  me  in  making  up  and  presenting  a  more 
favorable  report  than  is  warranted  from  a  careful  survey  and  examination  of 
the  proposed  line  of  communication. 

I  do  not  deem  it  necessary,  before  entering  into  a  topographical  descrinUon 


Ship  Canal.  186 

of  ihe  country  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  proposed  improvement,  al- 
though il  might  not  be  out  of  place,  neither  is  there  required  at  the  hands 
of  the  engineer,  any  speculations  or  statements  in  regard  to  what  would  be 
the  effect  on  commc«-cial  operations  by  removing  the  barrier  to  navigation 
between  lakes  Huron  and  Superior.  ';. 

If,  however,  any  information  on  this  subject  should  be  deemed  indispensa- 
ble, there  are  sources  from  which,  I  apprehend,  the  most  convincing  and  sa- 
tisfactory evidence  can  be  obtained  of  the  importance  and  utility  of  the  work 
in  question.  .4        jn  ^  •      ^^^f'"?/ 

By  reference  to  the  map  and  profile  of  the  canal  proposed,  it  will  be  per- 
ceived that  no  difficulties  of  a  serious  nature  interpose  or  are  to  be  appre- 
hended in  the  event  of  its  construction.  Even  that  portion  of  the  line  where 
rock  is  indicated  will  not,  owing  to  its  peculiar  quality  and  position,  require 
blasting. 

The  total  length  of  the  proposed  canal,  from  the  deep  water  at  the  head 
of  the  falls  to  its  termination  at  the  foot,  is  4,560  feet ;  and  the  portion  which 
may  be  estimated  the  most  difficult  and  expensive  to  excavate,  embraces  a 
distance  of  about  700  feet,  from  the  head  of  the  canal  to  the  deep  water  in 
the  river ;  yet,  in  the  excavation  of  this  part  of  the  work,  no  very  extraordi- 
nary expense  will  be  involved.      ,  ■  .■  •  i 

As  the  project  under  contemplation  comprehends  a  ship  canal,  it  becomes 
necessary  to  define  the  capacity  and  dimensions  and  proportions  of  both  ca- 
nal and  locks,  as  I  believe  will  accommodate  the  larger  class  of  sail  vessels 
now  used  on  any  of  our  lakes,  and  for  whose  accommodation  and  use  I  make 
no  doubt  this  work  was  originally  designed  and  projected.  I  would,  how- 
ever, remark  that  the  only  part  of  the  work  where  the  expense  would  be  in- 
creased by  constructing  the  same  to  accommodate  the  largest  class  of  steam- 
boats, will  consist  in  the  increased  magnitude  of  the  locks,  which,  on  inves- 
tigation, will  be  found  no  small  item. 

The  dimensions  of  the  canal  and  locks,  and  upon  which  the  dimensions 
have  been  based,  are  as  follows :  all  that  portion  of  the  line  where  the  pro- 
file indicates  rock,  I  propose  to  execute  by  a  cut  affording  a  width  of  75  fert 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  with  10  feet  depth,  giving  the  side  a  slope  corres- 
ponding to  a  bottom  of  50  feet.  The  residue  of  the  canal,  not  occupied  by 
the  locks,  will  have  a  width  on  the  surface  of  the  water  of  100  feet. 

To  the  locks  I  propose  to  give  the  following  dimensions  and  proportions, 
riz:  100  feet  in  the  clear  for  length,  and  32  feet  for  width ;  and  as  the  whole 
amount  of  fall  to  be  overcome  by  lockage  is  18  feet,  I  have  deemed  it  pru- 
dent, on  t-he  ground  of  avoiding  great  hydraulic  pressure  on  the  side  walls 
and  gates,  to  divide  the  same  into  three  lifts  of  six  feet  each. 

In  regard  to  the  facilities  afforded  for  the  construction  of  such  parts  of  the 
works  as  may  require  the  use  of  stone,  I  would  remark  that  nature  seems 
to  have  left  no  room  for  complaint  The  surface  of  the  ground  immediately 
on  a  line  with  the  proposed  work,  and  where  it  becomes  necessary  to  locate 
the  locks,  is  covered  with  large  detached  masses  of  granite,  of  sufficient 
magnitude  for  lock  stone.  And  we  shall  duly  appreciate  the  advantages 
and  conveniences  of  having  this  material  so  near  at  hand,  when  we  take  into 
coosideratign  the  great  expense  of  fitting  and  transporting  this  indispensable 
article,  so  necessary  for  the  permanent  and  durable  construction  of  such 
works,  from  quarries  remote  from  the  place  where  the  same  is  required  to 
be  used. 

With  these  remarks,  I  submit  the  foliowing  estimate  of  expense  of  ooBf 
ttnreliDg  the  said  canal:  '  /^  ^  "^  • 


<.*: 


186 


Ship  CanetL 


ESTIMATE. 


Excavating:  8,750  cubic,  yards  of  rock  under  water,  between      '■>  t^»>' 
station  No.  1,  and  deep  water  in  river,  (see  profile)  being 
a  distance  of  about  700  feet,  at  $1  50  per  yard,     -•         -     $13,126  00 

(This  rock  is  red  sand&tone,  lying  in  strata  from  two  to  four 

inches  thick,  easily  senarated.)  ■•'^     •■ 

Excavating  23,709  cubic  yards  of  rock  of  the  same  quality 
as  above,  embracing  a  distance  of  J, 300  feet,  from  station 
No.  1  to  13.  (see  profile)  at  $1  per  yard,  -  -  -        23,709  00 

Excavating  8,589  cubic  yards  of  earth,  consisting  of  sandy 
lime  and   muck  on  the  top  of  the  rocks,  between  stations  . 
No.  1  and  13,  at  20  cents,  ....  1,717  80 

Excavating  28,802  cubic  yards,  consisting  of  loam,  gravel 

and  muck,  from  station  No.  13  to  29,  at  25  cents,  -  -  7,200  50 

Excavating  21,442  cubic  yards  of  excavation  for  locks,  (qual- 
ity of  earth,  as  above,)  at  25  cents,  -         ;.•<    >. .-'.  :r         5,360  50 

-,.    -.  ;-.      ^-.'--V  ;.^...;;.;:.,.:o.ClI""^^^^  $5J,112  80 

ESTIMATE  FOR  LOCKS.     (See  map  and  profile  for  its  location.) 


1,200  00 


Lock  No.  1. 
1,322  yards  of  stone  masonry,  in 

water  cement,  at  ifr'S  50, 
68  feet  of  quarry  stone  at  $8, 
Gates  and  iron. 

Foundation  for  locks,  sills,  etc., 
3000  yds.  embankment,  at  25  cts.. 
Coping  stone  and  incidental  work. 
Contingencies, 

,,««,:  5..  $13,265  00 

Lock  No.  2. 
1,322  c.  yds.  of  stone  masonry,  in 

water  cement,  at  $5  50,  S7,27l  00 

68  feet  of  quarry  stone,  at  ^,  544  00 

Gates  and  iron,  1,500  00 

Foundation  for  locks,  mitres,  etc.,  1,200  00 
3000  c.  yds.  embankment,  at  25  cU.,  750  00 
Coping  stone,  etc.,  800  00 

Pumping  and  keeping  lock   pit 

free  from  water,  1,500  00 

Contingencies,  1,350  00 

y«>«l-/J  ;>H  .u;:.v^  14,915  00 


Lock  No.  3. 
1,322  c.  yds.  of  stone  masonry  in 
$7,271  00      water  cement,  at  S5  50, 

544  00  76  ft.  quarry  stone,  at  $8  per  ft., 
1,500  00  Gates  and  iron, 
1,200  00  Foundation  for  locks,  sills,  etc., 
750  00  Coping  stone,  etc., 
800  00 1 200  yds.  of  stone  masoniy,  wing 


walls,  etc.,  at  $5  50, 
ELstimated  expense  of  coffer  dam 

and  pumping  out  pit, 
Contingencies, 


RBCAPrrULATION. 

Cost  of  rock  and  earth  excava- 
tion. 
Cost  of  lock  No.  1, 
Cost  of  lock  No.  2,     <■  -:   I   ."  '■ . 
Cost  of  lock  No.  3, 
Contingencies, 


$7,271  00 

608  00 

1,500  00 

1,200  00 

800  00 

1,100  00 

1,500  00 
1,397  00 

15,376  00 


51,112  80 
13,265  QO 
14,915  00 
15,376  00 
9,376  00 

104,044  80 

''  In  order  to  include  every  possible  item  of  expense,  I  have  thought  proper 
to  add  a  further  estimate  for  a  pier  and  guard  gate  at  the  head  of  the  canal 
although  I  do  not  deem  them  absolutely  necessary,  and  which  are  estimated 
as  follows : 


Laying  down  and  filling  700  feet  of  pier. 
Guard  gates,  -  ,tKv-.;  ?7  ,?■> 


.^.■\: 


6,500  00 
2,000  00 
8,500  00 

'   •     This  amount,  added  to  the  above,  will  make  the  sum  total  of  $1 12,544  80- 
as  the  cost  of  constructing  the  proposed  canal. 

',   The  above  is  respectfully  submitted  by  your  obedient  servant, 

y:  J.  Almy,  Civil  Engineer. 

His  Excellency  Stevens  T.  Mason, 

Goveriwr  of  ike  State  of  Michigan.'  :- 


True  copy : 


A.  Canfield,  Ca^U  Top,  Engvuers. 


Railroad  Receipts.— Miscellaneous  Notices.  187 

RAILROAD   RECEIPTS. 

We  find  in  the  Journal  of  Commerce  the  following  comparative  statement 
of  the  receipts  for  four  months  on  the  Utica  and  Schenectady,  Syracuse  and 
Utica,  and  New  York  and  Erie  railroads.  The  result  is  highly  satisfactory 
— showing,  as  it  does,  the  regular  and  certain  increase  of  business,  and.  of 
course,  the  extension  of  the  railroad  system. 


NEW  YORK  AND  ERIE  RAILROAD. 

The  earnings  on  this  road  duiing  the  month 
of  April,  184?,  were 

Prom  freight,  $6,6l2  77 

From  milk,  2,166  87 

From  passengers  and  mail,  5,075  41 

Sl3,855  05 
The  earnings  for  the  same  period 

last  year,  since  when  the  road 

has  been  ext^ded  seven  miles, 

were,  8,946  62 


SYRACUSE    AND   OTICA    RAILROAD. 

Comparative  receipts  for  four  months. 
1843.  1844. 

January,  S4,9I0  43        S5,l69  39 

February,        .  4.093  05  5,259  50 

March,      ';  4,203  64  7,384  83 

April,  10,166  77        19,372  99 

$23,373  87      S37,186  71 

DTICA   AND   SCHENECTADY. 

January  to  May,  1843,  -  ~  ..       $46,108  47 

do.  do.     1844*   •       ;        59,763  83 

Gain  of  •  v  :  v :       -     $13,655  36 


i 


;   ;      :.  4,908  43 

■.^(!>  i«?-.v- :;A:i-.,>Kv;/\«^:,         miscellaneous  notices.'-'"^-     '<"■•-•■■''•::" 

Large  quantities  of  up-freight  remained  at  Albany  early  in  May  waiting 
for  boats,  though  by  the  end  of  the  month  they  will  scarcely  be  half  em- 
ployed. The  late  opening  of  t,he  Erie  canal  is  becoming  every  year  more 
injurious  to  the  State  and  city,  and  the  branches  of  Philadelphia  forwarding 
houses  are  consequently  very  numerous  here.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
say  that  this  difficulty  cannot  be  in  any  way  affected  by  the  enlargement- 
it  is  the  want  of  boats,  not  of  capacity  of  canal,  which  keeps  these  goods 
back,  and  if  larger  boats  were  used,  there  would  of  course  be  fewer  of  them. 
The  spring  trade — if  free — would  commence  early  in  March ;  now  it  is  de- 
layed to  the  end  of  April,  via  the  Erie  canal,  all  the  early  freight  going  via 
Philadelphia,  when  its  destination  can  be  reached  by  that  route,  the  addition- 
al cost  of  transportation  being  a  small  item  on  merchandize. 

The  legislature  of  N.  York  has  at  last  granted  permission  to  the  people 

to  transport  freight  on  the  railways  between  Albany  and  Buffalo  during 

the  suspension  of  navigation  on  the  Erie  canal,  but  paying  canal  tolls.     By 

this  ingenious  arrangement  the  public  will  receive  the  smallest  accommoda- 

ti(m  with  the  highest  charges,  and  the  railway  companies  can  expect  but  a 

trifling  return  from  the  large  additional  capital  invested,  and  the  greatly  in* 

creased  incidental  expenses.     If  the  companies  will  only  unite  to  give  the 

farmers  the  greatest  facilities,  and  be  well  prepared  to  get  hold  of  as  much 
merchandize  as  possible  before  the  opening  of  the  canal,  the  result  can  be 
neither  distant  nor  doubtful. 

The  Tonawanda  railroad  company  are  about  Rebuilding  their  road.  In 
1837  one  of  our  correspondents  undertook  to  demonstrate  that  the  construc- 
tion of  this  road  was  such  as  to  give  the  least  possible  strength  with  a  given 
quantity  of  material.  The  projector,  in  answer,  attempted  to  show  that  the 
effect  was  a  maximum,  and  the  communication  was  accompanied  by  draw* 
ings  which  placed  the  new  mode— the  "  block!'  system — faixly  before  the 
readera  of  the  JowrndL 


188  Miscellaneous  Notices. 

DR.    FRANKLIN   ON   ENGINEERING. AugUSt,    1772b  >>•  -J.-lA 

"  I  am  glad  my  canal  papers  were  agreeable  to  you.  If  any  work  of  that 
kind  is  set  on  foot  in  America,  I  think  it  would  be  saving  money  to  engage, 
by  a  handsome  salary,  an  engineer  from  here,  who  has  been  accustomed  to 
such  business.  The  many  canals  on  foot  here,  under  different  great  masters, 
are  daily  raising  a  number  of  pupils  in  the  art,  some  of  whom  may  want 
employment  hereafter  ;  and  a  single  mistake  through  inexperience,  in  such 
important  works,  may  cost  much  more  than  the  expense  of  salary  to  an  in- 
genious young  man  already  well  acquainted  with  both  principles  and  prac- 
tice. This  the  Irish  have  learnt  at  a  dear  rate,  in  the  first  attempt  of  their 
great  canal,  and  now  are  ehdeavoring  to  get  Smeaton  to  come  and  rectify 
their  errors.  With  regard  to  your  question,  whether  it  is  best  to  rhake  the 
Schuylkill  a  part  of  the  navigation  to  the  back  country,  or  whether  the  diffi- 
culty of  that  river,  subject  to  all  the  inconveniences  of  floods,  ice,  etc.,  will 
not  be  grea'.er  than  the  expense  of  digging,  locks,  etc.,  I  can  only  say,  that 
here  they  look  on  the  constant  practicability  of  a  navigation,. allowing  boats 
to  pass  and  repass  at  all  times  and  season  ,  without  hindrance,  to  be  a  point 
of  the  greatest  importance ;  and,  therefore,  they  seldom,  or  never,  use  a  river 
where  it  can  be  avoided.  Locks  in  rivers  are  subject  to  many  more  acci- 
dents than  those  in  still  water  canals  ;  and  the  carrying  away  a  few  locks 
by  freshets,  or  ice,  not  only  creates  a  great  expense,  but  interrupts  business 
for  a  long  time,  till  repairs  are  made,  which  may  soon  be  destroyed  again  ; 
and  thus  the  carrying  on  a  course  of  business,  by  such  a  navigation,  be  dis- 
couraged, as  subject  to  frequent  interruptions ;  the  toll,  too,  must  be  higher 
to  pay  for  such  repairs.  Rivers  are  ungovernable  things,  especially  in  hilly 
countries  ;  canals  are  quiet,  and  very  manageable :  therefore  they  are  often 
carried  on  here  by  the  sides  of  rivers,  only  on  ground  above  the  reach  of 
floods,  no  other  use  being  made  of  the  rivers  than  to  supply,  occasionally, 
the  waste  of  water  in  the  canals." 

Very  serious  riots  occurred  in  Montreal,  owing  to  the  canal  laborers  ta- 
king possession  of  the  polls.  We  regret  these  occurrences,  as  they  in  some 
degree  throw  odium  on  public  works  in  general.  At  the  same  time,  how- 
ever, it  is  proper  to  state  that  they  were  engaged  on  government  works,  that 
they  turned  o;U  to  support  the  projectors  of  these  works,  and  succeeded.  All 
have  been  since  "  discharged,"  and — re-engaged,  with  few  exceptions.  They 
are  of  course  ready  for  the  next  election.  It  is  difficult  to  speak  of  such 
atrocious  occurences  in  a  Journal  devoted  to  the  advancement  of  civil  engi- 
neering, though  nothing  can  be  more  hostile  to  the  cause  to  which  our  la- 
bors are  devoted. 

The  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  Charleston  railroad  company  siaiej  in 
their  report  of  29th  November,  1843,  that  in  consequence  of  a  diminution  in 
charges,  "  the  quantity  transported  within  the  same  period  has  been  quadru- 
pled, and,  in  some  instances,  tenfold.," 

"  Under  the  new  reduced  rates,  bricks,  lumber,  wood,  aad  even  coal  and  ice,  with  moet 
of  the  articles  of  domestic  produce,  hitherto  prohibited  under  the  higher  rates  charged,  are 
becoming  important  items  on  the  freight  lists ;  and  promise,  in  the  future,  to  greaUy  aug- 
ment the  profits  on  the  road." 

They  have  added  to  their  stock  "  three  of  Baldwin  and  Whitney's  new  improved  eii 
vrheel  connected  engines.  These  locomotives,  thus  far,  have  fulfilled  their  promise,  not 
only  in  the  greater  power  exerted,  but  in  the  facility  with  which  they  pass  the  curves ;  and 
the  little  injury,  compared  with  engines  of  the  smallest  class,  they  inflict  .on  the  road. 
Those  in  possession  oi  our  company  though  of  a  weight  not  exceeding  11  1-2  tons,  have 


^v 


■      '  "^^     Miscellaneous  Notices.       '-   "  >      ■.         I9Q 

been  found  ftiny  eqtial  to  the  transiwrtation  of  1000  bales  of  cotton ;  and  on  an  emoeen- 
cy,  with  the  eight  wheel  platform  cars  composing  their  train,  each  might  be  made  to  haul 
from  12  to  1500  bales  of  cotton." 

They  point  ouf  also  the  vast  advantages  which  would  result  from  a  con- 
nection with  the  Georgia  railroad,  realizing  all  that  was  anticipated,  and  fiir 
more  than  could  have  resulted  from  the  route  to  Cincinnati,  and  that,  too, 
with  a  comparatively  small  expenditure.  They  state  one — to  a  friend  of 
railways — distressing  fact. 

"  The  most  imposing  obstructions  are  still  at  our  own  door,  in  the  interval  between  our 
depot  on  the  neck,  and  the  wharves  in  Charleston,  and  in  the  expense  of  the  dray  charges 
from  one  to  the  other,  amounting,  in  many  instances,  to  40  per  cent,  on  the  railroaid  frei^t, 
on  the  entire  distance  from  Charleston  to  Hamburg,  and  to  Columbia !" 

The  Baltimore  and  Susquehanna  railroad  company,  in  their  report  of 

December,  1843,  refer  to  new  cars  invented  and  patented  by  their  machinist, 

Mr.  J.  Millholland. 

"  Each  of  these  cars  has  six  wheels,  weighs  in  all  about  8500  lbs.,  and  will  carry  12000 
to  14000  lbs.  of  most  descriptions  of  produce,  the  full  load  of  an  ordinary  eight  wheeled 
car.  Their  cost,  averaging  less  than  $450  each,  is  considerably  below  that  of  cars  of  equal 
quality  with  eight  wheels. 

"  During  the  year,  a  purchase  was  made  from  the  patentees,  of  the  right  to  use  what  ap- 
pears to  be  the  most  effectual  invention  which  has  yet  been  mside,  for  preventing  fires  from 
the  esca^  of  sparks  from  the  locomotives."  ♦  •  "It  has  now  been  used  for  two  years 
and  a  half,  and  since  its  adoption  no  instance  has  occurred  of  fire  being  communicated  by 
sparks  from  the  locomotives  of  the  company.     The  cost  of  this  purchase  was  S2000." 

The  name  of  the  inventor  is  not  given.  Wood  is  the  fuel  used  on  this 
road.  They  complain  of  the  late  period  at  which  the  canals  of  Pennsyl- 
vania open :  what  would  they  say  of  the  Erie  canal  ? 

"  It  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  Pittsburg  trade  over  this  route  was  not  so  great  as  it 
would  otherwise  have  been,  in  consequence  of  the  unusual  length  of  time  durmg  which 
the  Pennsylvania  canals  were  closed  last  winter  by  the  ice.  In  the  year  1841,  they  were 
not  closed  until  the  20th  of  December,  and  were  "opened  on  the  7th  of  March  following, 
while  in  the  ensuing  fall  they  were  closed  on  the  25th  of  November,  1842,  and  were  not 
opened  until  the  7th  of  AprU  last.  There  is  good  reason  for  believing  that  a  considerable 
amount  of  produce  and  merchandize  was  in  consequence  diverted  from  this  to  other  routes." 

A  route  has  been  surveyed  for  a  "  Northern  Railroad!^  from  Concord  to 
Lebanon,  N.H.,  and  a  report  made  by  Mr.  T.  J.  Carter,  engineer,  whd  es- 
timates the  cost  for  a  single  track  at  $20,000  per  mile,  with  heavy,  rail,  cars, 
engines,  etc.  The  distance  is  70  miles ;  2545  miles  are  level ;  15  75  miles 
are  on  gradients  of  52  80  feet  per  mile ;  the  remaining  distance  consists  of 
short  planes  of  from  4  to  47  feet  per  mile.  A  good  map  and  profile  acconi- 
pany  and  illustrate  the  report.  :^ 

Hunt's  Merchant's  Magazine,  for  May,  contains  a  paper,  by  W.  Beach 
Lawrence,  Esq.,  of  this  city,  on  the  Croton  Aqueduct.  He  regrets  the  de- 
parture from  the  plan  of  Major  Douglass  "  in  crossing  the  Harlem  river  and 
Manhattan  valley,  both  of  which  alterations  detract  greatly  from  the  mag- 
nificence, if  not  from  the  utility  of  the  work,"  (p.  437.)  Mr.  Lawrence  ap- 
pears to  have  overlooked  the  late  "  dam,"  which  a  frequent  contributor  to 
our  pages  has  denounced  in  no  measured  terms.  The  dam  has  been  rebuilt, 
and  has  four  times  the  capacity  of  the  old  dam.  To  the  great  cost  of  con- 
struction must  be  added  the  damages  caused  by  its  giving  way,  to  the  amount 
of  about  $100,000.       , 


190  Foreign  Periodicals  for  Majf.  1 

The  following  remarks  of  Mr.  Lawrence  apply  with  force  to  only  too 
many  of  our  great  public  works  : 

"  Unfortunately,  owing  to  collisions  between  the  chief  engineer  and  the  coramissionera 
to  whom,  according  to  the  system  prevalent  in  this  country,  the  superintendence  of  the 
work  was  confided^  and  who,  as  is  ordinarily  the  case,  whether  the  enterprize  is  of  a  pub- 
lic or  a  private  nature,  were  selected  without  reference  to  scientific  qualifications,  Major 
Douglass  was,  at  an  early  day,  obliged  to  discontinue  his  connection  with  the  aqueduct,  and 
his  successor,  educated  in  a  wholly  different  school,  however  competent  lo  the  mechanical 
execution  of  the  work,  had  none  of  the  enlarged  views  which  influenced  the  engineer  with 
whom  the  plan  originated." 

The  Outlet  at  Black^s  Eddy  has  at  length  been  authorized.  This  work 
will  ultimately  be  of  importance  to  the  coal  trade  of  Pennsylvania  with  this 
city  and  the  north  and  east  generally.  It  has  been  strenuously  opposed  by 
those  interested  in  the  Schuylkill  region,  and  with  success  till  now. 

An  additional  tax  has  been  imposed  to  meet  the  liabilities  of  the  canals 
of  New  York,  to  the  amount  of  the  interest  of  the  loan  authorized,  1,200,000 
dollars. 

Railway  Extension. — The  central  railway,  Michigan,  has  been  extended 
ten  miles  to  Gridley's  station  ;  to  which  place  the  cars  now  run. 
^-  Patents — Annual  Report  of  the  Commissioner. — We  are  indebted  to  C. 
M.  Keller,  Esq.,  of  the  patent  office,  for  a  copy  of  the  report  of  the  com- 
missioner, to  which  we  shall  refer  more  particularly  in  our  next  number. 

•\  >;.:;,;.  ,  FOREIGN    PERIODICALS   FOR   MAY.  ^        . 

By  the  Brittania,  we  have  received  the  Civil  Engineer  and  Architecti 
Journal,  and  the  London  Polytecnic  Magazine,  for  May  ;  but  the  number 
for  June  is  so  nearly  in  type  that  we  have  only  room  for  a  few  extracts  from 
the  former. 

There  is,  in  this  number  of  the  Polytecnic  Magazine,  Part  II  of"  railway 

communication  through  France,"   which  treats  of  the  "metallization  of 

wood,"  and  also  a  description  of  the  "  inclined  railway  into  Liege,"  which 

will  be  given  in  our  next  .    t 

Institute  of  Civil  Engineers. — The  discussion  on  the  subject'  of  slips  in 
cuttings  and  embankments  of  railways  was  renewed,  and  extended  to  such  a  length  as  to 
prevent  any  papers  from  being  read.  Some  observations  were  made  by  Sir  H.  T.  De  la 
Beche,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clutterbuck,  and  several  members,  on  the  geological  features  of  the 
slips,  whether  occurring  naturally  in  clifTs,  as  at  the  t>ack  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  or  in  the 
artificial  cuttings  of  railways.  It  was  contended,  that  in  both  ca^es,  the  reduction  of  the 
lower  and  softer  beds  to  the  state  of  mud,  by  percolated  water,  rendered  them  incapable  of 
bearing  the  weight  of  the  superincumbent  strata,  and  that  the  mass,  when  saturated,  slid 
down  by  its  own  gravity  ;  but  that  shps  in  railway  work,  were  accelerated  by  the  vibration 
caused  by  the  passage  of  the  trains.  The  vibration  of  the  air  from  the  discharge  of  a  gun 
had  been  known  to  cause  an  avalanche ;  and  the  cases  were  almost  analogous.  More  at- 
tention both  to  surface  and  bottom  drainage  of  the  slopes  was  much  insisted  upon ;  and  it 
was  urged,  that  the  back  drains,  so  close  to  the  top  of  the  cuttings,  were  prejudicial ;  that 
in  the  dry  season  the  bottoms  cracked,  the  rain  found  its  way  through,  and  it  had  been  fre- 
quently noticed  that  the  slips  commenced  at  a  few  feet  below  the  level  of  these  drains. 
The  dry  shafls  which  had  been  sunk  in  the  slopes  of  the  Eastern  Counties  railway,  by  Mr. 
Bndthwaite,  with  the  concurrence  of  Sir  H.  T.  De  la  Beche,  were  instanced  as  successful 
in  rendering  wet  and  treacherous  strata  comparatively  dry  and  secure.  A  section  was  ex- 
hibited of  the  embankment  at  Hanwell,  on  tne  Great  Western  railway ;  this  embankment 
which  was  of  gravel,  was  54  feet  high ;  it  was  laid  in  a  marshy  valley  traversed  by  the 
river  Brent ;  the  London  clay,  upon  which  it  was  laid,  inclined  towards  the  river,  and  at 
one  of  the  numerous  fissures  with  which  the  stratum  abounds,  a  subsidence  occured  squeei- 
ing  up  at  the  same  time  on  the  lower  side  to  as  great  an  extent  as  the  embankment  sank, 


^y^XjEnglisk  Patents.  191 

which  was  stated  to  be  nearly  as  much  in  one  year  as  the  entire  mass  of  the  embankment 
This  subsidence  was  stopped  by  loading  the  foot  of  the  slope,  and  thus  restoring  equilibrium, 
and  it  was  stated  to  be  at  present  quite  secure.  It  was  urge<l  that  in  the  earthwork  of 
canals,  where  there  was  no  vibration,  the  slips  generally  occurred  in  the  first  few  months 
after  the  formation  of  the  embankments ;  but  that,  on  railways,  they  occurred  quite  as  £(«- 
quently  after  the  lapse  of  several  years.  It  appeared,  therefore,  that  much  was  due  to  vi- 
'      bration."— [C.  R  &.  A.  Journal.] 

-;--.i!>'>  '-  -.■■■  ..-^ 

V     .    ,  ENGLISH   PATENTS. 

/  Railway  Wheels. — This  invention  relates  to  a  mode  of  so  combining  iron 
'  Uid  steel  in  the  manufacture  of  tyres  for  railway  and  other  wheels,  that  the  steel  may  be 
*  at  those  parts  of  the  surface  of  the  iron  most  Uable  to  wear,  after  the  steel  and  iron  has 
been  rolled  into  bars  for  the  purposes  above  described.  In  order  to  carrj-  out  this  invention 
the  steel  and  iron  are  piled  together,  and  then  heated  to  a  welding  heat,  after  which  they 
are  passed  under  the  hammer  and  formed  into  a  bloom,  and  then  passed  between  suitable 
rollers  for  forming  it  into  bars  adapted  for  tyres  for  railway  and  other  wheels ;  by  this  means 
the  steel  is  intimately  combined,  and  is  said  will  possess  many  advantages  over  the  present 
mode  of  applying  steel  to  the  face  of  tyres  for  railway  Wheels ;  the  patentee  in  some  cases 
makes  the  pile  so  as  to  present  a  surface  of  iron,  with  steel  underneath,  the  former  being 
removed  wnen  turning  up  the  wheel  in  the  lathe  in  the  construction  thereof  The  claim 
is  for  the  mode  of  manufacturing  tyres  for  railway  and  other  wheels,  by  rolling  them  from 
piles  of  iron  and  steel,  in  such  manner  that  the  steel  is  at  the  wearing  sur&ce. 

Axles  for  Wheels. — This  invention  consists  of  forming  the  axles  of  two 
parts  or  shafts,  one  solid  and  the  other  hollow,  whereby  greater  strength,  and  less  hability 
to  breakage  is  obtained.  In  order  to  carry  out  this  invention  the  patentee  provides  a  tabu- 
lar or  hollow  axle  sufficiently  long  to  pass  through  the  bosses  of  each  of  the  wheels  when 
at  the  required  distance  from  each  other,  the  calibre  or  bore  of  this  tube  being  suHicient 
to  admit  the  solid  axle  passing  through  it,  which  axle  consists  of  a  solid  shaft  having  bear- 
ings turned  at  each  end,  to  fit  the  steps  or  journals  in  the  frame  side  of  the  carriage. 
The  wheels  are  firmly  fixed  upon  the  ends  of  the  hollow  axle  by  means  of  keys ;  the 
solid  axle  is  then  passed  through  the  tabulaur  or  hollow  one,  and  fixed  therein  in  like  man- 
ner, by  means  of  keys.  When  the  bearings  are  within  the  wheels  it  will  be  found  ne- 
cessary in  forming  the  journals  to  weld  two  collars  upon  the  hollow  axle,  so  as  to  ob- 
tain greater  strength.  The  claim  is  for  the  construction  of  axles,  by  combining  together 
aoiid  and  hollow  shafts  one  within  the  other,  as  described. — [C.  E.  &.  A.  Jour.J 

■  ^  Separation  of  Metals. — The  inventor  takes  copper,  in  which  silver  is  in 
combination,  and  melts  it  in  the  usual  mamner;  he  then  pours  into  an  iron  vessel  con- 
taining lead  melted  to  a  red  heat,  or  nearly  so,  and  thereby  mixes  the  argentiferous  cop- 
per with  the  lead  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  silver  in  combination.  After  the  mix- 
ture it  will  be  found  that  the  copper  with  a  portion  of  silver  and  lead  will,  as  the  mix- 
ture cools,  rise  to  the  surface,  which  may  afterwards  be  taken  off  with  a  pair  of  tongs, 
or  other  mechanical  contrivance ;  for  instance,  a  perforated  plate  somewhat  less  in  dia- 
meter than  the  size  of  the  iron  vessel  in  which  the  compounds  are,  is  placed  in  the  ves- 
sel, and  near  the  bottom  thereof,  so  that  as  the  metals  are  melted  it  will  be  found  that 
the  copper,  with  a  portion  of  silver,  will  rise  through  the  perforations  in  the  plate,  and 
may  be  lifted  out  of  the  vessel  together  with  the  plate,  which  plate  is  provided  with 
one  or  more  handles  for  that  purpose.  The  copper  with  such  portion  of  silver  as  it  may 
f  yet  contain  is  then  broken  into  small  jrieces,  and  separated  by  the  process  of  "  elequation, ' 
which  is  as  follows :  the  pieces  of  copper  thus  obtained,  together  with  a  quantity  of  char- 
coal, are  then  put  into  a  retort,  or  retorts,  constructed  vnth  an  opening  at  one  end,  through 
which  the  metals  ("  videlicet"  the  silver  and  lead  contained  in  such  pieces  of  copper) 
flow  when  in  a  state  of  fusion.  The  retorts,  which  are  fixed  in  the  furnace  in  a  slo- 
jring  position  and  closed,  so  as  to  exclude  all  air,  are  then  heated  to  such  a  d«vree  as  to 
melt  the  silver  and  lead,  but  not  the  copper,  which  former  are  allowed  to  pass  oft  through 
the  opening  at  the  lower  end  of  the  retort  into  a  suitable  vessel,  leaving  the  co{^r  al- 
most free  from  the  silver  and  lead,  which  two  metals  are  to  be  afterwards  separated  by 
the  ordinary  process  of  cupellation. — [Ibid.] 

Elli^  Improved  Turn  Table. — The  objection  to  placing  turn  tables  of 
the  ordinary  construction  on  the  main  line  of  a  railway,  is,  that  by  the  nature  of  their 
construction,  they  are  rapidly  destroyed,  by  the  frequent  passage  of  heavy  tndns  over 
them,  besides  the  injury  done  to  tne  carriages,  and  the  upleasant  motion  and  noise. 
Mr.  EUlis  has  constructed  a  turn  table,  which,  when  not  in  use,  rests  firmly  on  the 
curb,  and  thus  allows  the  train  to  pass  rapidly  over  it  without  injury.  The  iron  {sntle 
of  the  table  on  which  it  tarns  being  kept  wdl  oiled,  works  with  a  loose  collar  round 
it  in  a  vertical  iron  case ;  which  case  is  supported  and  kept  in  its  central  position  by  two 


192  Tubes  of  Locomotive  Engines. 

cross  arms  of  cast  iron,  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  attached  to  the  curb.  The 
lower  end  of  the  pintle  passes  through  the  bottom  of  the  case,  below  which  u  a  stirrup 
attached  to  a  cross  lever  passing  at  one  end  through  a  chase  in  the  circular  masonry, 
or  brickwork,  supporting  the  table ;  attached  to  the  external  end  of  the  lonw  lever,  ia  a 
second  lever,  working  m  a  vertical  direction,  and  connected  with  a  third,  or  handle 
lever,  by  whidh  the  table  is  put  in  motion  or  fixed,  as  required. — [C.  E.  &  A.  Jour.] 


The  "  Civil  Engineers' Journal,"  April  1st,  gives  a  rather  discouraging 
account  of  the  "  Great  Britain,"  nicknamed,  with  some  shov^r  of  reason,  the 
"  Great  Postponed."  It  appears  that  the  admiralty  has  engaged  the  services 
of  Mr.  Brunei,  to  report  on  screws,  and  we  hope  another  year  will  not  elapse 
without  enabling  us  to  form  a  tolerably  correct  idea  of  the  comparative  merits 
of  the  different  screws,  propellers,  etc.,  now  in  use.  We  make  the  follow- 
ing extracts : 

TUBES   OF   LOCOMOTIVE   ENGINES.      "  '"  -'^  .  '    i 

Investigation  to  determine  the  diameter  of  the  tubes  of  a  locomotive  engine 

boiler  to  produce  a  maximum  effect. 

In  treating  this  subject  it  appears  rational  to  suppose  that  the  effect  of  the 
hot  air  in  passing  through  the  tubes  is  directly  in  proportion  to  the  extent  of 
surface  in  contact  therewith,  and  as  the  time  of  contact  conjointly :  that  is, 
denoting  the  number  of  tubes  by  n,  their  diameter  by  d,  their  aggiegate  sur- 
face by  s,  their  united  area  by  a,  and  the  time  of  contact  by  t,  supposing  the 
length  of  the  tubes  constant,  we  shall  have  the  following  postulates : 

a:ncP  A.  ! 

:  j^^:^:-. -':'-'■"::":   ,.  t.n  s?  B.. 

••.  is:  n^ d^  a.  maximum  D. 

Table  of  the  comparative  evaporating  power  of  three  diffferent  methods 
of  tubing: 
Number  of  tubes, 
Internal  diameter  of  tubes, 
Distance  between  centres, 
Interval  in  tube  plate, 
Total  circumference  of  tubes 
Total  sectional  area  of  tubes 
Product  of  circumference  and  ai 

„    ■  :^  .    .•    ..  Comparison. 

V    :  v.  A:  C::  100:  120 

'^-^'^  B:C::100:112 

It  appears  from  the  above,  that  the  boiler  which  is  tubed  in  the  theoretic 
proportioB  is  from  12  to  20  per  cent,  superior  to  the  others. 

Mr,  Buck  concludes  that  with  "  the  preceding  theoretic  ratio,"  "  the  area 
of  the  tubes  will  rather  exceed  the  half  of  the  space." 

CONTENTS: 

Page. 
6«nan{  principlea  and  inTaatigation  of  for- 

male,  161 

On  the  calculation  of  the  table*,  169 

Baw  Mountain  railrosd,  171 

Coal  tradn,  172 

Dnty  on  railroad  iron,  174  Foreifrn  periodicab  for  llayv 

Ttha  screw  propeller — (teAm  narif^tlon,  175|Enclub  patent*. 

Cm*  «0tsu«porution  on  railroad*,  177|Tabe»  ot  Locomotiire  —glaw, 


103 

18 

46 

inches          If 
"              2f 

8 

:■  •■  |.;.^n^ 

4 

f 

f 

«'          625-82 

490^ 

424-06 

«          21361 

24604 

31806 

area,  112,320 

120,091 

134,881 

Spark  arreater, 

Railway  commanicstion  through  FraaM, 

Ship  canal, 
Railroad  receipta, 
Mi*rellaneou*  notice*^ 


v;^;:■■■>^'t^AS■K>■iiw««r^■■       -  ■    -i-M 


5 


.  «df:p«i--^  v-^^^ v.i.^''. '^     AMERICAN      -'^  *^^^'>^"='^-^:*^^-J'^ 


RAILROAD  JOURNAL,;' 


X***'  •  AND  ^  ; 

^iJi'*-     MECHANICS' MAGAZINE.   '^^'''- 

Published  Monthly  at  23  Chanibers-st    New  Vork,  /  S  rw    ir    Xirx'nij     rj-.   . 

at  »2  a-year,  iri  advance,  or  3  copies  for  »o.        \  i  "    '^    MINOR,  Editor. 

No.    7,  Vol.    2.    ;  TTTT  V-      IC/I/I     "  5  Whole  No.  433. 

Third  Scries.      ^  J  U  Li  I  ,    i»44.  ^        Vol.  XVn. 


,.      REMARKS   ON    THE   PROFESSION      -•,  ..r,-..    v,v.,„..v 

la  this  number  we  devote  a  little  space  to  some  remarks  on  the  present 
state  and  prospects  of  the  profession.  Some  years  since  we  entered  into  this 
question  at  length,  and  ascribed  the  failure  of  many  works  to  the  fact  that 
they  were  mere  political  jobs,  projected  by  persons  whose  education,  habits 
and  pursuits  rendered  them  incapable  of  forming  any  idea  of  the  grand  out- 
line of  the  most  efficient  work  to  accomplish  the  objects  aimed  at,  and  who 
very  naturally  selected  kindred  spirits  to  execute  their  crudedesigns.  Whether 
we  then  ascribed  too  much  to  this  cause,  and  whether  all  the  canals  and  rail- 
ways of  this  country  would  have  been  as  much  better  executed  by  private 
enterprize,  as  we  then  argued,  is  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  intelligent  and 
candid  reader.  -f'*^;^  ftv^ 

The  importance  of  extending  the  sphere  of  usefuhiess  of  the  profession, 
has  been  repeatedly  alluded  to  by  ourselves,  and  correspondents,  and  unless 
this  be  done,  a  large  portion  of  those  who  still  cling  to  the  hope  of  employ- 
ment cannot  too  soon  give  up  all  idea  of  engineering  as  a  means  of  support. 
The  works  we  more  especially  allude  to  are  roads,  bridges,  docks,  dams  and 
the  general  arrangement  of  the  buildings  and  power  of  large  manufacturing 
establishments.  Still  with  every  exertion,  time  will  be  required,  and  some 
years  must  elapse  before  the  community  will  discover  that  the  advice  and 
assistance  of  an  experienced  engineer  may  be  useful  to  them  in  other  works 
than  canals  and  railways.  Indeed  some  of  our  railways  even  are  entrusted 
to  persons  suddenly  taken  from  other  pursuits,  and  the  impairs  of  superstruc- 
ture, bridges,  engines,  etc.,  are  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  subordinate  hands. 
Such  persons  are  unable  to  enter  into  the  details  which  form  the  amount  of 
annual  expenses,  and,  though  quite  competent  to  strike  the  balance  of  profit 
and  loss,  are  unable  to  show  where  the  main  difficulties  lie,  far  less  to  sug- 
gest any  mode  of  remedying  the  evil.  Without  going  so  far  as  to  attribute 
the  fiulure  of  some  works  to  this  cause,  we  feel  confident  that  we  may  safely 
ascribe  to  it  the  smallness  of  some  dividends,  in  part  at  least. 

We  believe  also  that  the  higher  walks  of  the  profession  have  been  neg- 
leetti.     The  engineer  has  only  too  often  to  execute  the  designs  of  some 


.  .IV^^ir/MTf^ri&J^^^^cA 


\ 


ld4  Remarks  on  the  Profession. 

board,  without  a  voice  in  the  general  plan ;  and  it  is  hard  to  say  whether  the 
interests  of  the  stockholders  or  of  the  profession  sufier  most  from  this  cause. 
It  must  have  struck  all  familiar  with  the  general  mode  of  proceeding  in  Eng- 
land, that  the  opinion  of  the  engineer  of  the  work  is  either  closely  adhered 
to,  or  at  least  forms  the  basis  of  discression  among  the  directors  ;  in  many 
instances  the  opinions  of  numerous  other  engineers  are  taken  also,  not  merely 
l; ,  with  reference  to  some  mechanical  detail,  but  as  to  location  and  general  plan 
of  the  work.  Now  it  is  very  easy  to  make  preliminary  surveys  and  reports 
in  which  all  appears  very  smooth  until  submitted  to  the  stern  tests  of  con- 
struction and  active  operation.  Then  is  seen  by  all  with  what  degree  of 
judgment  the  work  has  been  adapted  to  its  objects,  both  as  regards  the  gene- 
ral plan  and  mechanical  details.  Then  the  cost,  capabilities  and  income  ne- 
cessarily indicate  the  degree  of  judgment  evinced  in  projection  and  execution, 
and  that  which,  when  the  first  line  was  traced,  was  a  mystery  to  all  or  nearly 
all,  becomes  notorious  'o  the  casual  observer.  But  the  highest  aim  of  the 
engineer  is  to  determine,  a  priori,  within  reasonable  limits,  what  the  effect 
of  any  projected  undertaking  will  be,  and  to  take  measures  accordingly. 
This,  however,  requires  something  more  than  the  use  of  the  level  and  goni- 
ometer. It  requires  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  wants  of  the  commu- 
nity, as  far  as  they  are  likely  to  be  affected  by  the  contemplated  undertaking, 
as  well  as  a  knpwledge  of  the  various  engineering  means  by  which  these 
wants  may  be  best  satisfied.  Such  information  is  obtained  with  no  little  la- 
bor, and  to  sift  the  mass  of  evidence  in  all  such  investigations,  and  to  lay 
down  the  "  projet''  of  the^work  by  which  these  new  facilities  can  be  afforded 
with  the  least  outlay,  and  in  the  best  manner,  is  a  problem  to  be  mastered 
only  by  the  union  of  character  and  liberal  acquirements  with  the  mechanical 
skill  which  forms  the  basis  of  the  profession,  and  which  is  regarded  by  only 
too  many  as  the  sole  requisite. 

For  example,  suppose  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie  canal,  the  construction 
of  the  Chenango,  Black  river  and  Genessee  valley  canals  had  been  sub- 
mitted to  such  men  as  Brunei,  Rennie,  Stephenson,  etc.,  does  any  one  doubt 
that  they  would  have  condemned  them  ?  We  name  foreign  engineers  for 
obvious  reasons,  and  not  because  we  are  without  men  whose  verdict  would 
have  been  equally  jusc  and  decided.  Indeed  it  is  not  long  since  the  failure 
of  the  Reading  railway  and  of  the  canals  of  Canada  were  predicted  by  two 
of  our  contributors,  who  went  into  elaborate  investigations  in  support  of  their 
views,  with  what  reason  time  will  very  soon  show.  But  what  we  desire  is 
to  see  these  thorough  examinations  gone  into  before  the  work  is  commenced 
— nay,  more,  before  the  general  plan  of  operations  has  been  decided  on.  If 
this  be  done,  we  shall  meet  with  no  failures,  though  all  that  was  anticipated 
may  not  be  realized. 

But,  as  already  remarked,  this  can  only  be  done  by  men  of  enlarged  views 
who  can  take  in  at  once  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  engineering  acconuno- 
dation  required,  and  the  probability  of  these  accommodations  yielding  an  in- 
come sufficient  to  warrant  their  being  carried  into  execution.    And  this  is 


.-^■^. 


Remarks  on  the  Profession.  •_  196 

not  all:  when  the  result  is  not  favorable  in  the  opinion  of  the  engineer,  he 
must  report  decidedly  against  it.  Unless  this  be  done,  the  profession  must 
.suffer ;  for,  in  that  case,  the  highest  engineering  considerations  are  thrown, 
on  the  directors  and  stockholders,  who,  though  the  proper  judges  of  the  va- 
rious plans  submitted,  are  by  no  means  the  most  suitable  persons  to  project 
orig-inal  designs.  Yet  the  leading  features  of  the  State  works  of  New  York 
were  left  to  commissioners,  men  appointed  with  reference  to  their  politics, 
and  the  taxes  levied  to  meet  the  debts  of  the  canals  attest  their  capacity,  in 
one  way  at  least,  that  of  running  up  a  large  debt  in  a  very  short  time. 

It  is,  however,  of  little  consequence  that  the  engineers  have  an  influence 
in  these  questions,  if  they  know  nothing  beyond  the  field  work,  and  we  have 
•heard  experienced  and  educated  engineers  complain  that  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  profession,  who  were  well  versed  in  the  practice,  did  so  little  to 
acquire  that  information  which  is  indispensable  to  every  one  who  aspires  to 
succeed  in  the  execution  of  great  works — we  do  not  mean  the  mere  expendi- 
ture of  large  sums.  In  looking  over  the  pages  of  this  Journal  and  that  of : 
the  Franklin  Institute,  for  the  last  ten  years,  we  find  a  large  portion  of  the 
contributions  from  the  same  writers  ;  and  although  we  are  far  from  intimat- 
ing that  all  who  can  contribute  have  done  so,  it  must  still  be  allowed  that 
these  Journals  give  some  tolerable  idea  of  the  practical,  scientific  and  evea 
literary  attainments  of  the  profession  in  the  United  States.  The  objects  at- 
tained by  the  meetings  of  the  Institute  of  Civil  Engineers  in  London  must 
be  reached  here  by  other  means,  which  have  been  well  pointed  out  by  Mr. 
Latrobe  in  the  Journal.  We  are  even  inclined  to  think  that  the  plan  there 
proposed,  that  of  each  and  every  member  contributing  his  mite  to  some  Jour- 
nal taken  by  all,  promises  more  important  results  than  could  be  expected 
from  any  society  in  so  extensive  a  country  as  this. 

Impressed  with  these  views,  we  beg  leave  to  remind  our  readers  of  Mr. 
Latrobe's  suggestion,  more  especially  that  part  in  which  he  alludes  to  those 
who,  seldom  writing,  are  averse  to  appearing  in  print  because  they  fear  their 
style  may  be  inferior  to  the  matter  of  their  productions.  Now  the  style — 
provided  it  be  tolerably  clear — is  of  exceedingly  little  importance,  and  we 
will  venture  to  say  that  any  striking  improvement  or  original  suggestion  in 
any  of  the  mechanical  arts  connected  with  engineering,  will  be  immediately 
seized  on  and  appreciated  by  the  educated  engineer,  be  the  language  ever  so 
crude.  More  than  this,  it  will  be  found  that  the  most  accomplished  mem- 
bers of  the  profession  will  be  the  very  last  to  regard  the  mere  style  of  a  con- 
tribution of  a  practical  man  on  a  practical  subject 

In  this  number  we  conclude  the  explanation  of  the  very  extensive  tables 
of  excavation  and  embankment  already  published,  and  remain  as  ever  desir* 
ous  of  making  our  columns  the  medium  of  conveying  as  much  practical 
and  definite  engineering  information  as  possible.  Now  it  appears  to  us  that 
this  might  be  easily  accomplished  if  engineers  in  diflerent  parts  of  the  coon- 
try  would  contribute  their  views  on  various  points,  not  in  elaborate  essays, 
but  in  "  Notes,"  as  leisure  or  inclination  may  permit     This  mode  of  com* 


196      ,  .  Canadian  Works.   .'''■ 

municating  is  attended  with  this  advantage,'  that  many  minor  but  still  impor> 
tant  subjects  which  are  not  considered  sufficient  for  a  formal  paper,  may  be 
easily  treated  in  the  familiar  form  of  "  Notes."  We  know  that  the  gentle- 
man to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  "  NotM  on  Practical  Engineering," 
is  not  without  hopes  that  others  will  also  give  their  views  on  those  points  to 
which  they  have  devoted  particular  attention,  or  in  treating  which  they  differ 
from  the  ordinary  course. 

There  appears  to  be  at  this  time  a  probability  that  public  works  will  soon 
be  extensively  undertaken,  and  their  steady  continuance  would  be  certain 
if  engineers  generally  would  decidedly  report  against  all  extravagant  and 
injudicious  projects  which  sink  the  money  of  the  stockholder,  ruin  his  con- 
fidence in  the  profession,  and,  of  course,  destroy  the  prospects  of  the  engineer : 
in  one  word — character,  united  with  skill,  are  required  to  give  the  profession 
anything  like  the  standing  and  influence  it  has  in  England,  the  results  of 
which  the  world  is  familiar  with. 

We  should  have  remarked  above  that  Smeaton  and  Telford,  both  self-made 
men,  as  well  as  all  the  first  engineers  in  England  at  the  present  day,  have 
written  much  and  well.  Brindlej^  is  an  exception,  and  a  most  dangerous 
precedent  for  any  man  not  gifted  with  his  extraordinary  natural  abilities.  The 
habit  of  writing  leads  to  very  close  investigations,  and  necessarily  induces 
habits  of  exactness  and  accuracy,  than  which  nothing  is  more  important  to 
the  engineer ;  and  we  close  these  remarks,  which  have  grown  upon  our 
hands,  with  observing  that,  in  our  widely  extended  country,  a  general  habit 
on  the  part  of  engineers  of  contributing  papers,  notes  or  memoranda  on  va- 
rious appropriate  topics,  oflJers  the  best — certainly  the  surest  mode  of  raising 
the  standard  of  the  profession,  as  well  as  of  rendering  it  more  useful  and 
honorable  to  the  country  and  to  its  members.  ^ 

CANADIAN   WORKS. 

It  appears  that  £300,000  of  the  Canadian  loan,  the  interest  of  which—, 
4  per  cent. — is  guaranteed  by  the  British  government,  has  been  taken  at 
112.  We  regret  exceedingly  that  no  portion  of  the  loan  has  been  devoted 
to  railways,  cheaply  constructed  and  adapted  to  the  immediate  wants  of  the 
community,  instead  of  being  nearly  all  laid  out  on  canals,  which  may  be  re- 
quired some  century  hence  at  soonest.  The  following  extract  is  from  a  late 
Montreal  paper.  It  appears  that  these — as  we  believe — most  unfortunate  un- 
dertakings are  as  fruitful  of  immediate  suffering  and  disgrace  as  of  perma- 
nent injury  to  the  country ;  for  the  tide  of  emigration  is  not  more  rapidly 
turned  by  the  cholera  itself  than  by  taxation.  The  land  was  taken  about  two 
years  since ! 

"  By  letter  in  the  Melanges  Religieux,  we  see  that  the  farmers  along  the 
line  of  the  Beauharnois  canal  are  all  complaining  of  delay  in  receiving  pay- 
ment of  the  indemnity  due  to  them  for  land  taken  up  by  the  canal,  as  well 
as  for  damage  done  to  their  property,  and  even  for  labor  performed  as  fax 
back  as  last  seasoa    This  is  not  right"       *^  ,-  -.^.  ,  ,  ,^.  ^^  -.: 


-'  Examples,  Showing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables.  IVt  ^ 

EXPLANATION   AND   ARRANGEMENT   OF   THE   TABLES. 

Tables  I  to  XXI,  with  exception  of  tables  VII,  XIV  and  XXI,  are  con- 
tents for  average  depths,^  bases  15,  18, 25, 28,  30  and  34  feet  for  each  of  the 
side  slopes  ^  to  1,  1  to  1  and  1^  to  1.     v  ?>».;:><.  i^iv,^^^  v      j    > 

Tables  VII,  XIV  and  XXI,  are  corrections  for  difierences  of  depths  for 
the  same  slopes. 

Table  XXII,  contents  of  prisms  with  square  bases/         ^^^.  ......     - 

These  tables  are  all  calculated  for  a  length  of  100  feet,  the  depths  being 
supposed  given  in  feet,  and  the  contents  are  expressed  in  cubic  yards.  S&^:'- 

The  remainder  of  the  tables,  XXIII,  XXIV,  XXV  and  XXVI,  are 
greater  and  lesser  areas,  horizontal  and  side  distances  for  the  side  slopes  ^  to 
1,  I  to  1, 1^  to  1  and  2  to  1.  Column  first  contains  the  inclination  of  the 
surface  of  the  ground  in  degrees.  The  second  and  fourth  columns,  marked 
A  and  a,  contain  the  greater  and  lesser  areas  A  L £,  £  DM,  (fig.  1)  when 
E  I  or  H  is  one.  The  sixth  column,  marked  (A  —  a),  contains  the  diffe- 
rence between  the  second  and  fourth,  to  be  used  when  the  degree  of  inclina- 
tion is  the  same  on  both  sides  of  the  centre  line  of  the  road.  When  the  in- 
clination is  not  the  same  on  both  sides,  the  areas  must  be  taken  out  separately 
for  each  side,  and  afterwards  subtracted.  The  third,  fifth  and  seventh  columns 
are  half  the  difference  of  the  numbers  in  the  preceding  columns.  The  other' 
column^  in  these  tables  are  the  greater  and  lesser  horizontal  and  side  dis- 
tances, arranged  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  columns  of  areas.  ; 

The  greater  areas,  horizontal  and  side  distances,  are  used  when  these  di- 
mensions rise  above  the  centre  line  of  an  excavation,  and  the  lesser  areas, 
horizontal  and  side  distances,  when  below  the  centre.  In  embankment  the 
reverse  obtains.  The  prism,  of  which  the  greater  area  is  the  base,  must  al- 
ways be  added  to  the  content  in  excavation  or  embankment,  and  the  prism, 
of  which  the  lesser  area  is  the  base,  must  always  be  subtracted.  "; 


'  EXAMPLES,   SHOWING  THE  MANNER  OF  USING  THE  TABLES.        ;  -*  t^-^ 

First.  Caseswhere  the  natural  surface  is  level  transversely.  '^V.^-V' 

Example  1.  A  cut,  the  base  of  which  is  25  feet,  side  slope  1^  to  1,  depth 
105  feet  throughout,  is  100  feet  in  length,  required  the  content 

Turn  to  table  XVII,  and  opposite  10  feet,  and  under  -5,  will  be  found  the 
required  content :  158^  cubic  yards. 

Example  2.  An  excavation,  having  the  saxae  base  and  side  slope,  is  19 
feet  deep  at  one  end,  2  feet  at  the  other,  and  100  feet  in  length,  the  content  is 
required. 

The  average  depth  (or  |  sum  of  the  depths  at  the  ends)  is  10*5  feet,  and 
the  difference  of  the  depths  is  17. 


ju^'irJit.^.'.  ^^^v-^lL^k 


'  '1'. 


198  •  Examples,  Showing  the  Manner  ef  Using  the  Tables. 

The  content  for  a  depth  of  10  5  feet  is  -  -  1585  cub.  yds. 

',  And  the  correction  for  a  difference  of  17  feet  is  found  in 

table  XXI,  -  -  -     >;,,A'4-^r- v?»-^^''^  J34      «     _'•     ' 

;)'   Hence  the  true  content  is    >*,^  .•-»r.f^  .  t?<. .- ,?. -■;         -      1719      "      «->» 

When  the  length  is  not  100  feet,  multiply  the  result  obtained  from  the 
tables  by  the  given  length,  and  divide  by  100  for  the  true  content. 

Example  3.  A  cut,  the  base  of  which  is  15  feet,  side  slope  ^  to  1,  and 
length  300  feet,  is  10  feet  deep  throughout,  required  the  content. 

The  content  for  a  depth  of  10  feet  and  length  100  feet  is  found  by  table  I 
to  be  741  cubic  yards.  ^;  .     ,.  ^ -     .    :  :■•  ■ -r  :■    ;  ..      ;;. 

:/      „          741x300      _„_     ,.         .       :- 
Hence,  --— —   =  2223  cubic  yards. 

100  ''  .;{'  V    * 

It  will  be  observed  that  when  the  excavation  or  embanlcment  rims  to  no- 
thing at  one  end,  the  same  method  is  applicable ;  ^  the  depth  at  the  other 
end  being  the  average,  and  the  depth  itself  being  the  difference  of  depths. 

Example  4.  An  embankment  is  25  feet  wide  on  top,  has  a  side  slope  of 
1^  to  1,  is  6  feet  deep  at  one  end,  and  runs  otu  in  a  length  of  30  feet,  required 
the  content.  -        *-     -.•  r*^-,    ■ 

The  content  for  the  average  depth,  3  feet,  is,  by  table  XVII,        328  c.  yds. 
The  correction  for  difference  of  6  feet,  is,  by  table  XXI,  17      " 

The  content  for  a  length  of  100  feet  is,  .    345      ~ 

^,345x30      ^^r,^\-\---'cx- 
Hence, — — — —  =  103  5  cubic  yards.    ■     ^i^ vvl*^  -  r. -<Ae<, 

When  there  is  excavation  at  one  station  and  embankment  at  the  succeed- 
ing one,  the  length  of  excavation  will  be  found  by  multiplying  the  depth  of 
excavation  by  the  whole  distance  between  the  stations,  and  dividing  by  the 
sum  of  the  depths  of  excavation  and  embankment 

Example  5.  Let  there  be  7  feet  depth  of  excavation  at  one  station,  and  3 
feet  embankment  at  another,  100  feet  distant  from  the  former. 

Then,  -- — -^-  =  70  feet  length  of  excavation, 
7  X  oo 

and  100  —  70  =  30  feet  length  of  embankment.  ; 

Hence  the  content  of  each  can  be  found  as  in  4th  example.  When  the 
base  is  different  from  that  for  which  any  of  the  tables  are  calculated,  the  con- 
tent can  be  found  by  equation  (Y),  in  which  it  will  be  observed  that  H  and 

H'  are  the  sums  of  the  depths  and  - — th  the  base.     Find  the  number  in  table 

2  M 

XXII,  for  prisms  100  feet  in  length,  corresponding  to  square  bases  whose 

H  -I-  H'  R 

sides  are  — ^r — ,  H  —  H'  and  - —  respectively.     Then  from  the  sum  of 
3  2  f» 

the  first  and  -^  the  second  subtract  the  third,  and  multiply  the  remainder 

by  the  slope  (m)  for  the  content  of  a  length  of  100  feet. 

As  we  have  already  explained  the  mode  of  proceeding  when  the  length 

is  DOt  100  feet,  it  is  unnecessacy  to  introduce  instances  of  uneven  distaaceSj; 


..sdiMJS^. 


Examples^  Showing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables.  •  199 


and  in  the  following  examples,  the  length  of  excavation  and  embankment 
must  be  considered  always  100  feet,  unless  some  other  distance  is  specified. 
Example  6.  In  an  excavation  the  base  is  14  feet,  slope  1  to  1,  and  depths 
at  the  ends  10  and  2  feet. 

Here  H  =  17,  H'  =  9,   ^^^—^  =  13, H  —  H  =8, m  =  1  and^-  =  7. 


H  +  H' 


=  13  corresponding  number  for  table  XXII, 


H  —  H'  =  8 


B 

2m 


=  7, 


u 


u 


table  XIV, 


2m 
626  cub.  yds. 


646  cub.  yds. 
181  cub.  yds. 

465  cub.  vds. 


:    -      Content,.  -  •%.  *■- .- 

"When  it  is  only  required  to  ascertam  the  whole  content  of  an  e.xcavation 
or  embankment,  and  the  stations  have  been  taken  at  uniform  distances  from 
each  other,  the  labor  of  the  calculation  may  be  somewhat  abridged  by  the 
adoption  of  the  mode  pursued  in  the  next  example. 

Example  7.  Let  the  base  of  an  excavation  be  40  feet  in  width,  the  side 
slopes  2  to  1,  and  the  depths  of  cut  at  intervals  of  100  feet,  as  stated  in  the 
left  hand  column  of  the  following  table ;  required  the  content  of  the  excava- 
tion. ;':■•;,    ■".      ■...;:■■.;-■  -;vVv,-.   ■■  .:'__, 


Depth 

H  +  H* 

Cor.  No.  from 

H       H 

Cor.  number 

■  ■■•   i 

in  feet. 

in  feet. 

table  xxii  c.  y. 

in  feet. 

table  xivc.  y. 

••  ■  >;'•  ■  ■' 

00 

,'.. 

20 

420 

6533 

20 

1 

■■   "  >'■ 

36 

456 

7701 

16 

0 

--   , 

89 

525 

10208 

53 

9 

.         --.i.        i. 

124 

613 

13917 

35 

4 

;■     "  '      1 

140 

664 

16329 

16 

1 

_    ■' '.    i 

90 

63  0 

14700 

50 

8 

■>'::Mi't\ 

.60 

550 

11204 

30 

3 

42 

502 

9333 

1-8 

1 

'  -i  '    '  ■'- ' 

■  •••:>;:  4  ■ 

1-  21 

463 

7940 

21 

1 

y-'r    '''''\- 

'■-.  ..'-?;.n 

00 

421 

6564 

21 

1 

•'  -   1-  •  _  r»  ■  it ' 

^.a-:^\!^Y/ 

4)104,429 

29 

-■  '•■'(.,?** 

^ 

26,107 

\  *  *        '     •■.' 

29 

':  ."■ 

-■-*"■- 

.     ; 

„.-■■'*■      -"l'    -'    '  iv'-.*.' 

B 

■!;<J',.i5  -'i-"-  "■— -.."/-■•"'v.^'^'->'':.="- 

rjSiS  i. 


hence,  ?!^L_(= 
'  100 


1000) 


26,136  ;  now  -—  =  10  cor.  No.  tab.  370  r 

'  2  «i  'i 


=3700 


22426 


h¥Y:^' 


■-■^  --■ 


.s-t. 


Hence  6725  x  m  (=  2)  =  44,872  cubic  yards  is  the  total  content  of  the 
excavation.  ;     n  'r:- 


Nois.  Double  the  depth  gives  four  times  the  content 


200 


ExampleSj  Shawing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables. 


Second.  Cases  where  the  natural  surface  of  the  ground  has  an  inclinfitio^ 
at  right  angles  to  the  line  of  the  road.  "  f         ■<  :., 

Example  8.  An  excavation,  the  base  of  which  is  28  feet,  side  slope  1  to  1, 
and  depth  throughout  10  feet,  has  a  transverse  slope  right  and  left  of  12°  ; 
required  the  content. 

First  Method.  Here  (area  a  IE  —  area  K  d  m)  for  12°  in  table  XXIV 

is  0473,  and  ( 10  +  —  V  L  =  (24)^  ^  =  H«  L  in  table  XXII  is  2133 
\  2  m/  tit 

cubic  yards.  • 

Consequently  -  -  .  - 


multiplied  by  0473 


2133  c.  yds. 
3740    " 
853    " 
149    '< 
6    " 
100  8  c.  yds. 
1407O    " 
i507¥crydi] 


gives  the  correction  -  -  -    '      ' 

which  added  to  average  content  from  table  XI 
makes  the  total  content       -  -  - 

Second  Method,  (by  equation  X).     Here,  " 

L       B'  L 

.       H'*  (Y  +  ^)  o  —  1 —  equal  the  content 

100 

H«  X  L  =  (24)«  X   2=-  is  found  in  table  XXII  opposite  24,     2133     c.  yds. 

37401     « 

2-0946 
i  (Y  +  y)  in  table  XXIV  is  — --  =  10473 

ti 


■'.■■'•  - 

21330 

u 

85  3 

« 

,••'; 

14  9 

6 

(( 
(( 

22338 
7260 

u 
(( 

£-^  ' 

16078 

(( 

Subtract   ^  (table  XXII)     • 

and  we  have  for  the  true  content  as  before 

Example  9.  An  embankment,  25  feet  wide  on  top,  having  a  side  slope 
of  1^  to  1,  is  12  feet  deep  at  one  end  attd  4  at  the  other,  and  has  a  transverse 
slope  right  and  left  of  the  centre  at  both  ends  of  12° ;  required  the  content. 

First  Method,  (by  formula  N) 

i  )  L  ■■'■I  *"' 

j  W  -f  H'«  +  (H  +  Hy  W  A  —  tt)  g  =  correction  for  transverse  slope. 

100 

H*  X  L  =  (20  3)'  -^  =  No.  cor.  to  20-3  in  tab.  XXII  is        1626  c.  yds. 


27 


H*  X  L  =  (12 3)» 


100 
27 


123 


100 


(H  +  Uy  X  L = (90-3  + 12  3)«  ~  No.  cor.  to  32  7  « 


660 
3960 


(( 


-i^ 


6046    «, 


"•    '-  ''  -r"ikii>'^l-li 


Examples,  Shomng  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables. 


201 


1698 


i  area  (A  ~  a)  for  12°  io  table  XXV  col.  6  is     ^ 

f  6 


Therefore  the  correction  for  transverse  slope  is 
Content  for  average  depth  8  feet  in  table  XVII, 
Correction  for  difference        "        "         XXI, 

Total  content, 


=  0283,  3820  c.  yds. 


^X';^^-:-^ 


1209  « 

484  « 

18  " 

171  I  c.  yds. 

1096-  « 

30  " 

1297-  " 


We  might  have  found  the  above  correction  for  transverse  slope  by  adding 

H  -I-  H' 
the  value  of  equation  (O)  to  the  correction  for  a  uniform  depth  — — —  = 

163. 

"-       '     L       W      100  *■—■■' 

(H  —  H')=  (A  —  fl)  —  =  —  X  2y  X  1698  =  3  cubic  yards,    v 

We  see  that  in  this  case  it  would  have  been  sufficiently '  accurate  for  all 
practical  purposes  in  obtaining  the  correction  for  transverse  slopes  to  have 
supposed  the  depth  uniform  throughout.  i,  >    -     -    •  ?;  :^;  t 

The  following  table  shows  the  diflference  of  depths  answering  to  given 
values  of  A  —  a  when  the  value  of  equation  (O)  becomes  10  cubic  yards. 


■.Vl  i,-  • 

A  —  a 

H  — H' 

A  —  a 

H       H' 

|A  — a 

H       H 

-,                r     ■     - 

1 

180 

•6 

.74 

11 

54 

2 

126 

•7 

68 

12 

5^ 

3 

104 

•8 

64 

13 

50 

4 

90 

9 

60 

14 

4-8 

^v--^^: -}i 

5 

81 

10 

57 

15 

40 

-  ■  ■   - 

By  comparing  the  values  of  A  —  a  above  given  with  the  difference  of 
areas  as  exhibited  in  tables  XXIII,  XXIV,  XXV  and  XXVI,  it  will  be  seen 
that  there  will  but  few  cases  occur  where  equation  (O)  need  be  considered. 

Sccon«i  Jlfc^Aoii,  by  equation  (V),    ;,r  V :  -j       ';        '.:>:■ 

I  H^  + H'2  + (H  +  H'f  j  (Y -f  y)  J^-^  =  c©ntent, 


H  +  H''  +  (H  + 


m 


H  )^  I 


L  as  before, 


-fV  (Y  +  y),  (table  XXV,  column  12),  -^  =  -2783 


:tf^,i^. 


12 


C -: 


^-.■T<i 


B«L 

Deduct  -s — , 


m 


:*.J**^-V1 


And  there  remains  the  content  of  embankment^ 
the  same  as  before. 


6046  c.  yds. 

3872  " 

12092 

4232  -^^ 

484  -^^ 
18 

1683-  " 

386-  « 

1297-  ~^ 


•^l- .  .-.L^ *ifi  A^rtin''W>Si£S^&n».irt''i  1^1  :^Ai^Ui^ai£i^ 


'.■•'.' ,:  '   -^.. /^^a 


ao2 


Examples,  Shawing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables. 


Example  10.  The  transverse  slopes  and  depths  at  the  two  extremities  of 
an  excavation,  the  base  of  which  is  28  feet,  and  the  side  slope  1  to  1,  are  as 
represented  in  the  following  statement ;  required  the  content      | 
Depth  at  centre.     Slope  to  right.     Slope  to  left. 

14  feet  -f  12°  —6°  i.      ; '   ' 

6  "  4-    4"  —  9° 

The  sign  +  prefixed  to  the  right  slope  indicates  that  the  ground  is  higher 
on  the  right  of  the  centre,  and  the  sign  —  before  the  left  slope,  shows  that 
the  natural  surface  falls  from  the  centre  on  the  left.  j 

Examples  of  this  kind  will  be  solved  most  conveniently  by  equations  (S) 
and  (T).     Here  we  have 

;  I  H»  +  H"^  +  (H  -H  H')'  I  (Y  +  y  +  Y'  -f,  y)  ^-^  =  conten^ 
and  (H^  —  H'»)  ( Y  +  y  —  Y'  —  y)  -^  =  correction.- 


From  table  XXIV  we  have 
Y  for  12°  1  2699 

y  for   6°  -9049 


Y^+y 


21748 

19385 

24)41133 


iV(Y  +  y  +  Y'+y')=    1714 

H'  X  L  =  (28)'  X  ~,      (table  XXII), 

100 

H'«xL  =  (20)'x 


and  Y'  for  4-^ 
y  for  9  ° 

Y'+y' 


x\{Y-\-y-.Y' 


« 


27 
(H  +  H')'  X  L  =  (48)^  X 


100 
~21 


.{■ 


10752 
8633 

19385 
21748 
12)   2363 
-y)  =       -0197 

2904  c.  yds. 

-  1481    « 
8633    « 


Multiplied  by  ^\  (Y  +y  +  Y'  +  y')  =  -1714, 


12918 
-  4171 


And  we  have  for  content, 
(H«  —  H'«)  L 


X:* 


•    1423  c.  yds. 
7910 


12918 

9043 

129 

62 

-  2214  c.  yds. 


Multiplied  by  iJj  ( Y  +  y  —  Y'  —  y')  =  0197,    142 

.;.  10 


SuUract 


B'L 
4  m 


28-  c.  yds. 
2242^ 


u 


\2m) 


L  m 


726 


And  we  have  for  the  true 'content,   - 


1516 


Examples,  Showing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  TabliS.  203 


V- 


=  1st  correction. 


*  Another  Method,  by  equations  (L)  and  (M) 
I  W  +  H'2  +  (H  +  HJ  I   (A  —  a  -tr  A'  —  a)  ~  -  1st « 

V     (H*  — H')   j(A  — a)  — (A'  — a)?    -  =  2d  correction.       ' 

•  From  table  XXIV  we  get,      '"  '   ■  -^  ^  •  ''  ■■V.f  ; :  ■■ ' '  ■■■■,'.  '^  ' 
under  A  and  opposite  12°      1350      and  under  A'  and  opposite  4°      0376 

«      a           «            6^     0476  "          a         «j            9°      0684 

...  A  — a            -        +  0874  A'  —  a'          •     .    —  "0308 

'^...^:^..,,i          --0308  -.;.,.      ..^    .  r-^  -  ■    +0874 

W^>UU.,:^.>:     12)Hr0566  '                  ''  \-''     ^^+  "^ 

J-,  (A— -«  + A'  -a)        0047  i  j  (A  — a)  —  (A'— a)  |        0197 

j  H^  +  H'2  4-  (H  +  H  )^  ^  L  as  before,     -     12918  c.  yds.     j 

•  ;-.,        "-''■.  -■■  ■       J7400         ^:-  ■--  i'^ 

multiplied  by  j^^  (A  —  a  +  A'  —  a)  =  0047  ~517  .'l-r' 

gives  us  for  the  1st  correction,    ,    -^  •  61  c.  yds. 

and(H*— H'^)L  .  -     ;i^  •  -    •  1423  c.  yds.  ^ 

.^i-"S>::.y  7910  o  ■  :'.  .-t:    . 

multiplied  by  f  j  (A  —  a)  —  (X^— a')  ^  =  0197  142       .   ;  . 

128  •  ■-■^::-   V."    / 

■■'■"'■■■■  _j[0    ,  /^    ;"■ 

gives  us  the  2d  correction,      -  -  'I         28  c,  yds. 

Content  for  average  depth  10  feet  (table  XI),        -  -     1407    •' 

Correction  for  difference  of  depths  8  feet  (table  XIV),  -  20    " 

Total  content,  ....      1516     « 

Example  11.  The  base  of  an  excavation  is  18  feet  wide,  side  slopes  1  to  1, 
<ind  depth  at  centre  8-  feet,  depth  at  right  slope  13"  ft.,  depth  at  left  slope  4-  ft., 

a         a      ((      21*     "        "        ^'        "    30'       "  ''        "^     14' A  * 

required  the  content.  f-  ■  •     .  ' 

First  Method,  by  equation  (E).  f 

-  ;  Here,  H  =  17,  H'  =  30,  P  =  5,  ;>  =  4  P'  =  9  and  p '*=  7.         : 

Hence,  |  (2  H  +  H)  (P  -p)  +  (H  +  2  H  )  (P  -  p)  |  --^=  67  c.  yds. 

Content  for  average  depth  14  5  feet  (table  IX)  =            -  1745     "     ^ 

Correction  for  difference  of  depths  13-  feet  (table  XIV)  =  |  52  .  " 

;         Total  content,          -               W' /  v- .  w-^- ;;-?^^^W  1864    ''^ 

Or  by  equations  (F)  and  (G),  '         \    J 

(H  4-  H')  (P  —  p  +  P'  —  p)  -^  =  1st  cor.  transverse  slope  =  65  c.  yd&. 


(H-H')|(P-;,)-(P'-.;,')|^  =  3d    «     «     i^  2    « 


^•■i?*-- 


Total  correction  |br  transverse  slope  same  as  before,    *?,  r/'k    "    67 


904 


Examples,  Shotoing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables. 


Here  we  might  have  omitted  the  3cl  correction  for  transverse  slope,  as  it 
only  amounted  to  two  cubic  yards.  .  ■ :  |      \^^:^-.  - 

Second  Method,  by  equation  (R). 
Here,  H  =  17,  H'  =  30,  W  =  22,  w  =  13,  W  =  39  and  w'  =  23. 

Hence,  j  (2  H  +  H)  (W  -f  w)  +  (H  +  2  H)  (W  -\-w')l^  =  2164  c.  y. 

Deduct^ — =  -  -  :-  ^:  300  c.  y. 

And  we  have  as  before,  ....      1354  c.  y. 

When  the  work  changes  from  excavation  to  embankment  in  sloping 
ground,  the  content  will  be  found  by  the  method  which  will  now  be  ex- 
plained. 

■■.-■\  -     ■  ■■   :  "j  rig.3. 

In 


h 


Let  R  S  (fig  3)  represent  the  centre  line  of  the  road,  C  P  the  line  in  which 
the  plane  A  C  P  of  the  natural  surface  of  the  ground  intersects  the  base  of 
the  excavation,  A  B  C  a  perpendicular  plane  at  right  angles  to  R  S  passing 
trough  C,  A  B  P  will  be  the  side  slope  of  the  excavation,  B  C  the  base 
and  E  F  the  depth  at  the  centre.  The  content  for  the  distance  R  F  is  found 
by  fonnula  (     )  as  in  example  10,  and  the  content  of  figure  A  B  C  P  is 


-•ij*jL^2_!^j 


/  :w#.^.^:u.>>.v. 


Examples,  Showing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables.  906 

found  by  formula  (L).  When  the  pyramid  A  B  C  P  is  of  importance,  the 
depth  and  transverse  slope  at  F  and  the  length  B  P  must  be  measured  on 
the  ground,  but  as  this  may  not  always  be  convenient  it  will  be  proper  to  in- 
dicate a  method  of  finding  them  approximately  by  calculation. 

The  transverse  slope  may  be  assumed  as  varying  imiformly  from  R  to  S ; 
the  distance  from  R  to  O  is  found  as  in  example  5 ;  then  as  depth  at  station 
R  is  to  that  at  F,  so  is  length  R  O  to  F  O,  and  B  P  is  equal  to  2  F  O. 

Example  12.  There  is  12  feet  excavation  at  one  station  and  8  feet  em- 
bankment at  the  next,  transverse  slopes  12°  and  14°,  side  slope  1  to  1,  base 
30  feet  and  length  100,  Required  the  quantity  of  excavation  and  embank- 
ment, the  base  df  embankment  being  25  feet  and  side  slope  1^  to  1  ? 

Here,  12  +  8  :  100  :  :  12  :  60  =  R  O,  ;^ 

B 

and  taking  13°  as  the  transverse  slope  at  O  we  have  -  x  tan.  13°  =  depth. 

2 

at  F  =  35,  then,  12  :  60 .  :  35  :  175  =  F0andBP  =  2xF0=  350, 

formula  (L),  for  a  pyramid  reduces  to  H'  X  A  X  o-  i  ^ 

^  H',  A',  a  and  a  being  each  =  0-  which  is  the  common  rule  for  the  solid 
content  of  a  pyramid.  -""^    ''.-•':  .  ; :  i-:  ■-- 

Here,  W  =  ^- ^  =  (30)«,  L  =  35  and  A  from  table  XXIV  =  1501. 
ff  X  ^  =  (30)«  ^  from  table  XXII,         i"  "^  ^^  *      3333  c.  yds. 


.1  ^ 
L      1501  X  35    ' 


6710  s* 


^  3  =  -33060-  =  05  X  -35  =  0176,  v.J'v  2| .  ^^PR 


^^    >    ■■  •.   '^tJ^-^.Sf?l 


Content  of  pyramid,       1.  '    ',     >;  i  -J-^^  r~^/^'  583" 

Content  for  length  R  F  calculated  as  in  example  10,  i  4     -  j:    512-    " 
Total  excavation,*  -  -  -  *  «|  570* 

The  transverse  slope  for  the  pyramid  of  embankment  will  be  nearly  13^° 
and  the  content  calculated  in  the  same  way  as  for  the  pyramid  of  excava- 
tion is  .  -  .  .  .  44- c.  yds. 
And  the  embankment  for  the  remainder  of  the  distance,         -     215-     « 
Total  embankment,        ....             259'    ""^ 

When  the  transverse  slopes  at  R  and  S  (fig.  4)  cut  the  base,  so  as  to  make 
one  side  of  the  roadbed  in  excavation  and  the  other  in  embankment,  the  dis- 
tances of  these  points  from  the  centre  line  Q  R  and  S  T  can  always  easily 
be  measured  on  the  ground,  or  they  may  readily  be  obtained  by  multiplying 
the  natural  cotangent  of  the  transverse  slope  by  the  depth  at  the  centre ; 
whence  the  widths  in  excavation  and  in  embankment  are  found,  and  the  con- 
t^^  caksi^  by  equations  (L  and  M)  as  in  example  la 


.806  Examples,  Showing  the  Manner  of  Using  the  Tables 


-'    :s!^<i 


Fig.  4.     r.Ai7    ■v^J:i^■^:^■^- 


•'I        ''it''  ■ 


•  '.V-f.?' 


.  •  ,*'»«^i 


Example  13.  Given  at  one  station  2  feet  cutting  and  transverse  slope  12°, 
at  the  next  1  foot  filling  and  transverse  slope  14°,  length  100  feet,  in  exca- 
vation base  30  feet,  and  side  slope  1  to  1,  and  in  embankment  base  25  feet 
and  side  slope  1  ^  to  1 ;  required  the  contents  ? 

Here  a  and  a  being  nothing,  equations  (L  and  M)  become  "' 

:     j  H'  +  H'8  +  (H  +  H')''  ^  (A  +  A')  ^  =  content. 


iv 


>  (H«  —  H'^O  (A  —  A')  ^  =  correction.    ^-: 

'    H  =  -  ^^  +  2  X  cot.  12o\  =  15  +  9-4  =  24-4 

\i  ;  wi  \  2  / 


^:  U'h^:' 


'      :    ■  H'  =  -  ^^  — Ixcot.  14°\  =  15  —  40  = 
j  H*  +  W  +  (H  +  H')'  I  ^  from  table  XIV, 

A  +  A'  =  -1360  4-  1661  from  table  XXIV, 


110 


608  c.  ydsi 

t 
1103 


// 


1824 
6 


Content, 


183-  c.  yds. 


^L 


(H*  —  H'=)  (A  —  A')  ^  =  correction, 
Total  excavation,  *.        ,-   .     . 


-  —9 


174    c.  yds. 


!...■*•*.   iJ.*;-A   '-%»*^.t.-..*J.-.:J***..       '""^    r,.-      ^'\lK.'^.^'-''.L.x.t,- fc'    '■^*  -TVii   **»«,.V*Jij-.";-_>   ...ill'V  ^\.«    i^  «.*■''    r-     ._ 


Memorandum,  Cubical  Quantities. — New  Rotary  Engine        907 

For  the  embankment,  v^    ■';>  <'t  .v^*;         ;      '■ 

TT     1   /B       „  ,„^\      125  —  9  4      „,     ^       :? 

:::;;:  H'=i  (|+,xco..i4o)=  1^+12= no.   C 

m  \2  /  1-5  . 

Then,    I  H«  +  H'^  +  (H  +  Rf  |  (A  +  A')^    /i  r         ?2-7 cryds. 

(H«  — H'2)(A  — A')^    .-.*  :  0-;  J:^^  2-5   " 


Total  embankment,  -  -  -  -  -         76-3     " 

When  the  ground  is  so  uneven  that  the  transverse  slope  cannot  be  accu- 
rately taken  in  degrees,  and  it  becomes  necessary  to  take  the  depths  at  several 
points  in  the  cross  section,  the  following  method  will  sofinetimes  be  found  a 
convenient  approximation.         .    •. -^    ^  t^x  ,V•^^;     .^r; 

To  the  area  of  the  cross  section  of  the  excavation  add  - —  and  divide  by 

4  m 

VI,  then,  from  a  table  of  square  roots,  take  the  square  root  of  this  quantity  for 

the  depth  on  H,  and  calculate  the  content  from  table  XXII  as  in  example  6. 

Or  the  content  may  be  calculated  by  the  following  general  rule  which  is 
to  be  found  in  any  treatise  on  mensuration.  J.--^'.-f'''lir'lrl ^  vuC^^r- 

Multiply  the  sum  of  the  end  areas  and  four  times  the  middle  area  by  one- 
sixth  of  the  length  for  the  content.  r 

;V^^:,;ViA  MEMORANDUM CUBICAL    QUANTITIES.  ]»:.      ^ 

At  the  time  the  "  Notes"  on  this  subject  were  written,  I  had  not  seen  the 
paper  of  Mr.  E.  Morris,  C.  E.,  in  the  Franklin  Journal,  in  which  he  shows 
the  application  of  the  "  prismoidal  formula',  to  all  cases ;  mare  especially  to 
determining  the  quantities  for  final  estimates  where  the  ground  is  very  diffi- 
cult. This  able  paper  well  deserves  the  attention  of  the  engineer ;  and,  to- 
gether with  the  published  tables,  will  give  all  desirable  assistance  in  the  rough 
estimates  from  preliminary  surveys,  as  well  as  in  the  careful  and  often 
tedious  calculations  for  putting  the  work  under  contract. 

In  the  paper  on  "  Bridges,"  there  is  a  typographical  error,  (p.  9,)  I  wish 
to  correct.  For  "  screwed  in"  rdhd  covered  in.  Also  at  the  close  of  Notes 
on  "  Wharves,"  for  "  filling"  read  piling, 

New  York,  May,  1844.  W.  R.  C.    ; 

I),.       -  NEW  ROTARY  ENGINE.  i|. -,.•;;    ;':VtH^-*f^?'v' 

^  The  inventor,  Mr.  Peter  Borrie,  says: 

"  I  am  aware  that  many  patents  have  been  taken  out  for  revolving  engines,  and  have 
successive!^  failed,  owing  chiefly  to  defects  in  their  construction ;  these  fiiilures  have  pre- 
judiced the  public  mind  against  all  engines  on  that  princii^e,  but  from  the  long  experience 
I  have  had  (both  practically  and  theoretically)  with  steam  engines  of  every  description,  I 
flatter  myself  that  I  have  entirely  remedied  the  defects  common  to  revolving  engines ;  and 
from  the  lightn^s,  compactness,  snuill  amount  of  wear  and  tear,  and  greater  economy  of 
fuel  in  my  engine,  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  will  surpass  all  others  hitherto  in  use."      *      * 

"  Among  the  advantages  which  render  this  improved  steam  engine  so  peculiarly  well 
adapted  for  locomotive  and  marine  purposes,  may  be  mentioned  the  following,  viz :  "hiaII 
cost  of  construction,  great  economy  of  fuel,  the  space  occupied  by  it  is  very  tittle  in  pro^ 


\fl06        ^'vr/i.  <;>  V  i^J     Railway  Administration.      *V*ftTi.  rv 

portion  to  its  power,  and  also  its  comparative  lightness,  the  weight  of  the  engine  heing  only 
about  2  cwt.,  per  horse  power,  and  that  of  the  boilers  only  about  2  3-4  cwt.,  per  horse 
power,  so  that  the  whole  weight  will  only  be  about  one-half  of  the  lightest  engine  hith- 
erto constructed." 

He  then  goes  into  an  elaborate  calculation  of  the  power  of  this  as  com- 
pared with  the  ordinary  engine,  and  concludes  with  the  following  startling 
announcement : 

"  Consequently  only  about  one-third  of  the  fuel  would  be  required  for  the  revolving  en- 
gine as  would  be  required  for  a  conunon  reciprocating  condensing  engine  of  the  same 
power." 

The  general  plan  of  the  engine  appears  to  us  exceedingly  ingenious,  and 

likely  to  be  effective.     The  patentee  truly  observes,  "that  the  principle 

of  expansion  is  carried  out  to  its  fullest  extent,  without  the  aid  of  expansion 

valves  and  gear.''     But  the  best  reciprocating  engines  give  us  two-thirds  of 

the  total  power  of  the  steam  at  the  "  working  point ;"  and  we  do  riot  very 

clearly  see  how  any  engine  can  give  three  times  as  much  power  as  those 

which  only  lose  one-third  of  the  whole.     An  efficient  and  simple  rotary  en- 

.  gine  would,  however,  be- of  such  vast  importance  to  railways,  by  simplify- 
ing the  machinery,  as  well  as  by  enabling  us  to  obtain  the  adhesiou  of  any 

'"  number  of  wheels,  that  we  regard  with  interest  every  attempt  to  effect  so  de- 
sirable an  object.  We  hope  to  hear  soon  something  more  of  this  revolving 
engine,  and  shall  be  happy  to  lay  before  our  readers  a  full  description  and 
illustrations  as  soon  as  we  learn  that  it  has  stood  the  test  of  experiment. 


We  copy  from  the  "  Civil  Engineer,"  for  May,  the  following  admirable 
review  of  a  letter  on  "  Railway  Administration."  We  should  be  pleased  to 
see  the  letter  itself,  but  this  is  more  than  doubtful,  and  indeed  we  regret  it 
the  less  as  the  subject  has  been  so  well  handled  by  the  editor  of  that  leading 
Journal  of  the  profession.  It  was  our  intention  to  have  omitted  some  pas- 
sages uninteresting  to  the  American  reader,  but  we  find  them  so  few  that  we 
give  the  article  entire.  It  furnishes  matter  for  deep  and  serious  reflection, 
and  incidentally  though  very  ably  illustrates  some  points  we  endeavored  to 
establish  in  our  "  Remarks  on  the  Profession."  We  allude  to  our  views 
with  regard  to  general  information,  and  the  necessity  of  a  high  moral  tone 
in  all  engineers  entrusted  in  any  way  with  the  projection  of  works.  The 
railway  cause  generally  is  well  sustained,  and  last  though  not  least  to  us,  the 
creation  of  a  railway  press,  and  its  powerful  effects  on  the  extension  of  pub- 
lic works  are  forcibly  dwelt  on.  We  trust  we  shall  be  pardoned  for  observ- 
ing that  we  were  the  first  to  take  the  field  under  the  railway  banner,  and 
though  occasionally  hard  pressed  during  the  last  few  years,  we  still  continue 
to  aid — to  the  best  of  our  ability — ^the  development  and  extension  of  an  im- 
provement— we  may  say  tin  invention — second  to  few  in  the  bearing  it  is 
likely  to  have  in  the  welfare  and  advancement  of  the  human  family.         y^ 

EAILWAY    ADMINISTRATION.  •  "* 

"  We  have  seldom  seen  a  more  masterly  exposition  on  the  subject  of  rail- 
ways than  is  to  be  found  in  this  brief  pamphlet ;  if,  therefore,  we  dissent 
from  its  reasonings  and  the  remedies  it  proposes,  it  is  because  we  draw  dif- 


(■■•_ -ri.-rf.  ^3p:*i.  ,JJ 


Railway  Administration.  209 

ferent  conclusions  from  the  same  premises,  and  regard  premises  upon  which 
our  author  has  not  argued.  At  a  time  when  rant  and  cant  are  so  prevalent 
with  regard  to  railways,  and  a  pretext  is  earnestly  sought  to  hunt  them  down, 
it  is  matter  of  great  consolation  to  find  an  advocate  so  staunch  come  forward 
to  defend  them,  one  earnest  to  do  them  duejustice,  at  the  same  time  too  impar- 
tial to  defend  their  errors.  Those,  however,  who  have  deeply  studied  the 
subject,  and  been  intimately  connected  with  them  as  our  author  has  been, 
know  that  railway  bodies  have  been  much  more  sinned  against  than  sinning, 
and  will  feel  cautious  in  what  way  they  interfere  with  an  institution  which 
has  shown  and  possesses  such  elements  of  good.  The  railway  system  of 
England  is  both  a  moral  and  physical  phenomenon  of  the  age.  A  connected 
chain  of  public  ways  extending  over  1800  miles,  and  in  the  construction  of 
which  60  millions  sterling  have  been  embarked,  the  largest  sum  ever  yet 
applied  in  any  country  in  bulk  to  any  other  purpose  than  that  of  war,  natu- 
rally excites  attention  to  the  colossal  magnitude  of  the  enterprize,  but  the 
moral  features  are  still  more  deeply  interesting.  Not  only  has  this  vast  sum 
been  raised  by  private  means,  and  expended  under  private  direction,  but  dif- 
ficulties of  the  most  serious  character  have  had  to  be  contended  with.  At 
every  step  experience  had  to  be  acquired,  invention  exerted  t6  overcome  dif- 
ficulties and  establish  new  precedents,  the  immense  amount  of  money  required 
and  expended,  enhanced  the  cost  of  procuring  it,  and  the  price  of  every  kind 
of  labor  and  material.  No  colony,  no  new  political  institution,  was  ever 
formed  with  such  difficulties  and  such  success  as  the  railway  system  ;  finan- 
ciers, engineers  and  contractors  had  to  be  created,  while,  as  we  have  said, 
the  very  vastness  of  the  works  have  enhanced  the  cost  of  their  execution.  It 
is  well,  at  the  present  time,  and  with  our  present  experience,  to  turn  round 
and  say  the  railways  could  have  been  executed  for  less.  It  is  true,  if,  as  our 
author  says,  there  had  been  no  parliamentary  contests,  no  law,  no  extrava- 
gant landed  compensation,  that  much  might  have  been  saved,  but  we  are  not 
quite  so  sure  as  he  is  that  the  future  lines  to  be  executed  will  cost  only  the 
present  moderate  rate,  and  we  deny,  therefore,  the  propriety  of  measuring 
things  by  the  present  standard.  At  this  time  money  is  abundant  and  interest 
low,  so  is  the  price  of  labor  and  materials,  and  as  many  contractors  have 
been  ruined,  and  none  have  too  much  work,  a  line  can  be  let  at  a  very  low 
price.  Prices  are  however  rising,  and  will  rise ;  labor  will  cost  more,  tim- 
ber will  get  up,  iron  double  in  price,  to  say  nothing  of  a  crisis  by  and  bye, 
and  the  serious  consequences  of  depression  in  the  money  market,  which  it  is 
in  the  nature  of  events  to  bring  about  from  time  to  time.  We  would  not 
have  contractors  or  engineers  blind  to  these  facts,  for  it  was  to  such  facts  that 
many  difficulties  were  owing  at  a  previous  period.  The  much  vilified  esti- 
mates of  Stephenson,  Brunei,  Rastrick,  Braithwaite,  etc.,  were  founded  upon 
works  actually  executed,  but,  in  the  interval,  a  most  serious  difference  in 
prices  was  created  by  the  number  of  contracts  in  the  field.  While,  how- 
ever, we  expect  prices  to  rise  as  a  matter  of  course,  we  do  not  anticipate  the 
serious  excesses  of  the  old  system,  because  many  of  the  difficulties  have  been 
overcome.  In  the  infancy  of  the  railway  system,  as  the  development  of 
traffic  was  not  foreseen,  so  neither  was  the  cost  of  stations  duly  provided  for, 
then  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  those  days  contractors  were  not  used  to 
works  so  gigantic,  and  were  not  so  competent  to  undertake  them.  Now,  the 
weight  of  locomotives  is  ascertained,  and  the  rails  will  not  have  to  be  in- 
creased in  weight  60  per  cent,  above  the  estimate,  as  was  the  case  previously 
in  consequence  of  the  experience  gained  in  the  course  of  the  working.  Now 
many  and  economical  arrangements  are  well  known,  people  are  not  afraid 
to  lay  down  timber  bridges,  as  to  which  formerly  much  prejudice  prevailed. 


210  Railway  Administration. 

"  We  say  that  this  experience,  now  so  advantageous,  had  then  to  be  gained 
and  to  be  bought  at  every  step,  and  that  the  old  system  instead  of  being 
chargeable  with  blame,  is  deserving  of  the  highest  degree  of  praise  and  ad- 
miration. Few  know  the  burden  which  weighed  on  the  minds  of  railway 
managers  in  those  days,  and  rarely  have  exertions  so  great  been  made,  and 
received  so  little  appreciation.  Our  author  graphically  describes  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  panic. 

" '  Still  worse  was  the  condition  of  some  other  lines  two  years  later.  The 
commercial  embarrassments  that  weighed  so  heavily  upon  the  country  bent 
them  to  the  ground.  The  proprietors  were  totally  unable  to  answer  the  calls 
upon  them.  No  credit  could  be  given,  no  money  couW^e  obtained.  Con- 
tractors failed,  works  were  stoped,  loans  were  raised  at  usurious  interest,  ca- 
pital was  provided  at  a  sacrifice  of  one-third  of  its  amount.  Whatever  cen- 
sure boards  of  directors  deserved  in  other  matters,  at  this  time  they  stood 
forward  manfully  to  face  tl^  storm.  Many  of  them  supplied  large  sums 
from  their  individual  resources,  and  pledged  their  credit  to  a  frightful  extent. 
They  risked  ruin  for  the  benefit  of  their  fellow  proprietors,  which  they  never 
would  have  hazarded  for  their  own.  Few  know  the  perilous  state  of  some 
of  these  now  flourishing  concerns,  or  of  the  anxious  days  and  sleepless  nights 
of  those  who  had  to  provide  the  sinews  of  war,  to  uphold  a  sinking  credit, 
and  ward  olT  impending  bankruptcy  and  rum.' 

"  We  disagree  with  him,  however,  as  to  railway  directors  pushing  on  the 
works  at  any  cost,  becatise  they  were  deeply  imbued  with  the  gambling  spirit 
of  the  day.  They  pushed  on  the  works  as  a  matter  of  financial  necessity, 
to  which  they  were  in  the  strongest  degree  urged  by  their  proprietors.  To 
the  bulk  of  the  then  holders  on  the  realization  of  a  traffic  and  a  dividend  de- 
pended the  tenure  of  their  property,  often  whether  they  were  to  be  rich  men 
or  beggars.  When  the  panic  came,  the  resources  of  many  became  inade- 
quate to  meet  the  heavy  calls ;  they  had  to  borrow  or  to  hold  on  by  any 
means.  To  go  into  the  market  and  sell  was  ruin,  to  hold  wa3  their  only 
chance,  until  the  opening  of  some  portions  of  the  line  made  their  shares  a 
better  security,  or  until  the  subscription  of  two-thirds  of  the  capital  enabled 
the  companies  to  postpone  the  calls,  and  raise  money  on  debentures.  Any 
sacrifice  of  capital  to  gain  time  was  preferable  to  throwing  shares  on  the 
market,  where  scarcely  any  description  of  property  was  at  par,  while  the 
perils  of  forfeiting  everything  by  non-compliance  with  the  act  of  parliament 
made  shares  without  a  traffic  totally  unavailable  as  a  security  for  raising 
money.  When  all  these  circumstances  are  taken  into  consideration,  railway 
managers  will  not  be  censured  for  excesses  of  estimates,  which  circumstances 
alone  produced.  ^ 

"  The  evils  produced  by  the  legislature  the  pamphlet  before  us  well  show*, 
it  particularly  dwells  on  the  legalized  extortions  of  land  owners,  and  the  pro- 
hibitions of  level  crossing  of  common  roads,  which,  of  course,  it  proposes 
to  remedy. 

"  We  have  now,  therefore,  to  consider  the  present  state  of  the  railway  in- 
terest. We  have  so  many  hundred  miles  of  railway,  costing  so  many  mil- 
lions, and  as  a  new  institution  has  arisen,  new  public  wants  have  been  cre- 
ated, first  and  foremost  of  which  is  cheap  travelling.  In  a  national  point  of 
view,  there  can  be  no  question  upon  this  subject ;  cheap  travelling  is  in  the 
highest  degree  desirable:  how  is  it  to  be  obtained?  Every  one  has  his  re- 
medy ;  and  the  legislature  is  called  upon  by  many  well  meaning  individuals 
to  cut  the  Gordian  knot,  and  to  buy  up  the  whole  of  the  railways  ;  others, 
among  whom  our  author  is  one,  propose  modifications  of  this  principle.  For 
our  own  part,  we  are  most  free  to  admit,  that  on  the  leading  lines  of  traffic 


'  ^ » j':';.  *i*;^''A''-''-'^-»i<v.- 


V.- 


Railway  Administration,     i  211 

the  charges  for  travelling  are  absurdlv  high,  and  the  accommodation  for  the 
laboring  classes  totally  inadequate ;  slill  we  are  inclined  to  say  that  it  is  bet- 
ter to  let  the  matter  alone  than  to  legislate  upon  it.  The  mischief  hitherto 
has  been  in  legislating  for  questions  of  public  enterprize,  imposing  restric- 
tions and  giving  privileges,  which  are  the  fertile  sources  of  mischief,  and  we 
anticipate  little  good  therefore  from  any  legislative  remedy,  the  most  efficient 
in  such  cases  being,  in  our  opinion,  to  legislate  as  little  as  possible,  but  to 
proceed  upon  the  broad  economical  principle  of  leaving  industry  to  regulate 
itself  Not  that  we  doubt  the  right  of  the  legislature  to  interfere  in  this  spe- 
cific case,  or  in  any  similar  case.  Apart  from  the  question  of  rails  and  lo- 
comotives, shares  and  shareholders,  the  railway  system  is  an  institution  ha- 
ving the  same  public  relations  as  a  bank,  a  college,  a  hospital,  or  a  public 
house,  and  in  which  any  rights  of  private  property  exist  subordinate  to  the 
public  objects.  On  the  equity  of  the  case,  it  must  be  remembered,  that  if 
railways  have  been  allowed  a  maximum  fare,  it  was  on  the  express  condition 
that  anybody  should  be  allowed  to  compete  with  them  on  their  own  lines. 
This,  however,  is  found  to  be  injurious  to  the  public,  and  the  legislature  has, 
therefore,  the  equity  of  requiring  some  other  equivalent  security  for  a  reason- 
able rate  of  fare.  Our  gro'.md  for  letting  the  railways  alone  on  the  subject 
of  fares  is,  that  it  is  more  remunerative  for  railway  companies  to  charge  low 
fares  than  it  is  to  charge  high  fares,  and  that  this  principle  is  making  satis- 
factory progress,  and  must  and  will  be  adopted  by  all  companies.  The  fol- 
lowing observations  from  a  very  able  article  in  the  Railway  Record,  will  be 
read  with  interest. 

" '  A  very  large  amount  of  manufacturing  business  has  been  created  by 
the  railway  system,  for  the  supply  of  railway  stock,  and  this  will  be  ever 
on  the  increase,  not  merely  for  England  alone,  but  for  her  colonies,  and  for 
foreign  lands.  We  are  prepared  to  see  railways  rise  in  value,  in  the  same 
proportion  that  canals  have  risen.  For  although  it  be  true,  that  the  price 
of  making  railways  has  been  reduced  very  low  of  late,  it  is  quite  certain 
that,  with  increasing  traffic,  those  prices  will  rise.  When  railways  shall 
commence  in  the  East  and  West  Indies,  in  Australia  and  China,  English 
capital  will  find  so  many  vents,  that  the  intense  existing  competition  will  be 
lessened,  and  assuredly  the  value  of  land  will  rise  as  our  population  thickens. 
The  greater  the  numbers  of  the  community  the  more  valuable  will  the  roads 
become.  England  will  be  virtually  the  metropolis  of  the  continent,  by  means 
of  free  communication  throughout  all  lands. 

"  '  Nothing  can  'defeat  railway  prosperity,  but,  at  the  "same  time,  nothing 
can  check  it  so  much  as  injudicious  high  fares.  We  cannot  too  strongly 
insist  on  this  point.  The  increase  of  expenses  in  railways  is  great  in  pro- 
portion to  the  diminution  of  traffic,  and  the  increase  of  traffic  is  followed  by 
a  very  slight  increase  of  expenses  on  the  annual  amount,  while  the  propor- 
tionate decrease  is  very  great  People  are  gradually  getting  used  to  travel, 
the  circle  continually  widening,  and  as  they  get  used  to  it,  it  becomes  a  ne- 
cessary of  life.  They  can  no  more  do  without  it,  than  they  can  forego  their 
provisions.  But  they  must  be  inoculated  to  it,  and  this  inoculation  will  not 
take  place  while  they  are  frightened  by  high  fares.  We  are  of  opinion  that 
it  would  be  a  wise  thing  for  railway  companies  to  establish  some  rule  in 
lowering  their  fares  in  proportion  to  the  increase  of  their  passengers.  It  is 
'.he  largest  number  that  will  pay  best,  in  all  cases,  and  we  apprehend  that 
the  lowest  fares  will  also  pay  best,  unless  where  the  number  of  passengers 
is  limited.' 

"  The  author  before  us  certainly  does  not  go  far  enough  for  us  in  his  pro- 
posed legislation,  for  he  is  content  to  have  open  third  class  carriages  at  ^d. 


■  -.'-    ^»-'  ■jT.LcJf'iw.r.'f^,^^ **■.-:■  J..- 


212  Railtoay  Administration. 

per  mile,  attached  to  all  trains.  Now  we  think  as  a  matter  of  public  health 
It  is  desirable  that  all  trains  should  be  covered,  as  in  Belgium,  and  that  suffi- 
cient distinction  in  comfort  will  always  exist  between  the  several  classes  of 
carriages.  Third  class  carriages  should  be  provided  with  seats,  covered 
with  tarpaulin,  and  have  curtains ;  and  second  class  carriages  be  first  class 
carriages  without  the  cushions.  In  practice  this  arrangement  has  worked 
well,  and  will  work  well.  On  short  omnibus  lines,  however,  openstand-up 
carriages  do  no  harm.  On  all  lines  a  step  remains  to  be  taken,  which  may 
be  pursued  with  advantage,  we  mean  the  running  of  slow,  cheap  trains,  go- 
ing at  the  rate  of  some  ten  miles  an  hour.  Such  trains  can  be  worked  much 
cheaper  than  high  speed  trains,  and  there  are  large  classes  of  the  public  to 
whom  time  is  of  less  importance  than  money,  females  in  particular.  All 
these  things,  however,  may  be  safely  left  to  experience,  and  experience  is 
beginning  to  show  that  a  high  fare  is  the  wrong  system  for  extracting  the 
greatest  revenue  from  a  railway.  The  cheap  fare  system  is  satisfactorily 
progressing,  and  will  establish  itself  without  legislative  aid.  A  great  many 
experiments  are  also  being  made  as  to  excursions,  return  tickets,  weekly, 
monthly,  season  and  yearly  subscriptions,  the  results  of  which  are  promul- 
gated by  the  railway  press  to  the  general  information.  Here,  too,  we  may 
observe,  that  it  is  not  one  of  the  least  remarkable  features  of  the  railway  sys- 
tem, that  it  has  created  a  press,  by  the  competition  and  energy  of  the  mem- 
bers of  which  a  degree  of  information  is  diffused  which  has  been  productive 
of  the  greatest  benefits,  and  which  under  no  central  administration  could 
exist.  By  the  means  of  this  agency  upwards  of  a  hundred  reports  of  di- 
rectors and  engineers  are  yearly  brought  under  the  scrutiny  of  the  great 
body  of  railway  capitalists,  while  the  comqients  of  the  shareholders  at  the 
meetings  are  recorded  at  a  length,  and  with  a  degree  of  accuracy  only  sur- 
passed by  the  reports  of  the  houses  of  parliament.  This  is  totally  indepen- 
dent of  the  weekly  communication  of  every  kind  of  intelligence,  and  the 
keen  investigation  of  a  number  of  editors  experienced  on  the  subject,  and 
solely  engaged  in  such  discissions.  Indeed  it  is  not  one  of  the  smallest  mar- 
vels of  the  railway  system  to  see  one  of  these  papers  with  more  than  thirty 
of  our  pages  of  close  type  recording  the  minutest  details  of  railway  man- 
agement, and  the  most  trivial  observations  of  the  humblest  shareholder  or 
official,  for  the  perusal  of  many  hundred  railway  directors,  secretaries,  en- 
gineers and  functionaries.  The  loss  of  such  auxiliaries  consequent  on  the 
centralization  of  the  railways  by  government,  would  deprive  us  of  an  en- 
gine of  improvement  which  no  other  machinery  could  supply,  even  suppo- 
sing the  government  to  be  willing  at  its  own  risk  to  keep  up  for  the  benefit 
of  its  functionaries  a  Railway  Journal,  or  Railway  Record,  for  even  if  it 
found  the  money  it  could  not  find  the  materials.  Seeing  the  influence  which 
this  press  has  in  the  diffusion  of  intelligence  and  the  propagation  of  truth, 
we  are  quite  satisfied  that  the  directors  still  holding  out  against  low  fares 
will  not  be  for  long. 

"  The  grand  remedy,  however,  we  think,  lies  in  improving  the  arrange- 
ments for  obtaining  acts  of  parliaments  This  our  author  has  also  turned  nis 
attention  to,  but  we  think  he  has  not  struck  at  the  root  of  the  evil.  In  com- 
mon with  many  other  individuals  he  has  the  customaay  horror  of  projectors 
and  share  jobbers,  and  for  the  sake  of  remedying  any  evil  connected  with 
share  jobbing,  he  is  willing  to  sacrifice  the  interests  of  the  community.  We 
say  give  every  facility  for  obtaining  acts  of  parliament  for  railways,  harbors, 
docks,  bridges,  and  all  useful  works,  take  no  trouble  about  whether  the  work 
will  pay,  or  whether  the  parties  have  money  to  carry  it  on,  leave  them  to 
look  after  that  themselves,  and  do  not  for  the  fear  of  encouragmg  share  job- 


Cost  of  Transportatiojk. 


S13 


bing  prevent  people  from  carrying  out  useful  works.  Let  such  parties  also 
have  the  power  of  raising  as  much  money  as  they  can  upon  the  work,  and 
let  the  parties  lending  the  money  look  to  their  own  investigations  for  the  se- 
curity, and  not  to  the  legislature.  We  know  these  are  views  diametricallv 
opposed  to  the  prevailing  practice,  but  let  them  be  canvassed  and  they  will 
be  found  to  be  right.  Depend  upon  it,  the  more  trade  is  left  to  regelate  itself, 
and  the  more  it  is  carried  on  by  private  enterprize,  the  better.  The  public 
is  very  well  able  to  protect  itself,  and  to  form  its  own  judgment  as  to  the  ad- 
visability of  an  investment  without  any  legislative  aid  on  the  score,  which 
after  all  is  totally  erroneouf — for  have  not  many  of  the  lines,  guaranteed  by 
parliament  to  pay  five  per  cent.,  been  for  years  without  a  dividend,  and  others 
on  the  contrary  surpassed  all  parliamentary  calculations.  As  to  the  bubble 
companies,  we  have  no  fear  on  that  head ;  West  Middlesex  swindlers  may 
exist  as  they  have  existed,  but  a  whole  community  is  not  to  be  fettered  to  pre- 
vent the  perpetration  of  crime.  Give  every  facility  for  obtaining  railway 
bills,  relax  the  standing  orders,  do  away  with  all  deposits,  and  you  need  en- 
tertain no  fears  about  existing  lines  charging  high  fares.  Here,  too,  we  may 
observe  that  nothing  could  be  more  absurd  than  the  doctrine  lately  held  in 
the  legislature,  that  no  new  line  should  be  authorized  to  compete  with  an  ex- 
isting railway,  for  the  more  railways  the  better  for  the  public  at  large.  The 
idea,  too,  of  the  vested  interest  of  a  railway  in  the  traffic  between  particular 
towns  is  supremely  ridiculous,  for  it  is  evident  that  it  did  not  regard  the  vested 
interest  of  the  turnpike  road  it  superceded.  No  one  can  have  a  vested  in- 
terest in  abuse,  and  it  is  an  abuse  to  subject  the  public  to  a  high  rate  for  tra- 
velling, when  they  can  be  carried  more  cheaply. 

"  The  suggestions  of  the  author,  that  the  five  per  cent,  government  tax  on 
railways  might  be  appropriated  as  a  tax  for  buying  them  up,  is  an  exceed- 
ingly good  one,  and  we  think  such  a  fund  might  be  advantageously  applied 
in  the  gradual  purchase  of  shares  at  the  market  value  without  involving  any 
great  interference  with  the  grand  principle  of  private  enterprize,  for  after  all, 
what  we  have  to  look  to  is  not  what  we  shall  do  with  the  present  railways, 
but  how  we  shall  keep  up  the  national  energy,  by  which  such  great  works 
have  been  prosecuted,  ana  by  which  still  greater  things  can  be  effected  in 
our  own  country,  and  in  our  vast  colonial  empire." 

COST   OF   TRANSPORTATION. 

The  interesting  and  flattering  statements  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson 
canal  company,  for  1842  and  1843,  will  be  fresh  in  the  recollection  of  our 
readers.     We  allude  to  them  again  in  order  to  give  some  explanations  which 

-\  appear  to  us  important.  Since  the  appearance  of  these  statements  in  the 
Journal^  we  have  been  informed  that  the  amount  charged  to  the  railway  in- 
cludes many  miles  of  new  line  of  road,  as  well  as  a  very  different  arrange- 
ment of  the  entire  "  modus  operandi"  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountain. 
The  canal  has  also  been  improved,  hence  the  actual  cost  to  the  company 
cannot  be  stated  with  the  accuracy  we  should  desire,  from  any  data  in  our 

:  possession.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  greater  quantity  brought  down  in  1843 
cost  less  than  the  smaller  quantity  of  1842 ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  next 

..  statement  will  show  a  still  greater  reduction.  We  have  heard  also  that  some 
pdrtion  of  the  coal  was  sold  at  three  dollars  and  a  quarter  per  ton.  The 
account  our  informant  gives  us^of  the  style  in  which  the  works  are  carried 
on,  has  made  us  desirous  of  a  detailed  account  of  the  operations  of  the  com- 


--'^ --■••■'  : 


214 


Atmospheric  Railways. 


pany,  as  far  as  they  fall  within  the  scope  of  the  Journal,  and  when  winter 

brings  a  little  leisure  we  hope  our  wishes  may  be  gratified.     The  results  of 

the  new  arrangement  are,  we  understand,  highly  favorable  to  the  railway 

cause. 

.    Mr.  Nicolls,  the  superintendent  of  the  Reading  railroad,  states  the  actual 

cost  on  that  work,  93  miles  long,  to  be  46  cents  per  ton,  {Journal,  March, 

p.  83,)  which  is  at  the  rate  of  495  mills  per  ton  per  mile.     The  average 

load  was  160  tons  nett,  and  the  return  of  the  empty  cars  is  included  in  the 

4-95  mills  per  ton  per  mile. 

The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company  estimate  the  cost  at  941  cents 

per  ton  per  rpile,  with  loads  of  210  tons,  and  ascending  gradients  of  2 64 

feet  per  mile.     In  this  estimate  the  cost  of  locomotive  power  is  2  28  mills 

per  ton  per  mile,  and  with  the  gradients  of  the  Reading  railway  this  would 

be  reduced  one-half,  and  the  estimate  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  company 

•228 
-—  =  -827  cents  per  ton.     This  is  nearly  twice  the  esti- 


would  be  -941  — 


mate  of  Mr.  Nicolls,  and  it  is  obviously  intended  to  be  high  enough.  Again, 
the  latter  gentleman  may  not  include  renewals  of  railway.  In  that  event 
the  account  would  stand  thus — actual  expenses,  "495  cents  -.s  i  i.  n- •.^:f<i 
Renewals  of  track,  bridges,  etc.,  -  -      -250    "        ^- N   • .  r.'-**''^ 

Contingencies,       ....  -lOO     " 

Total  cost  on  Reading  railway,  -  •  -      -845  cts.  per  ton  per  mile. 

This  agrees  with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  company's  estimates  very  nearly. 

While  on  this  subject,  we  would  observe  that  the  objections  to  high  grades 
may  be  carried  too  far,  and  that  too  many  imagine  that,  because  an  engine 
on  the  Reading  railway  can  draw  twice  as  much  as  on  most  of  our  railways, 
therefore  the  cost  of  transportation  will  be  reduced  one-half  This  investi- 
gation, however,  to  be  thorough,  requires  a^complete  examination  into  the 
details  of  each  peculiar  case,  and  we  must  refer  the  reader  to  Mr.  Ellet's 
papers,  to  Mr.  Casey's  paper,  (Aug.,  1839,)  and  to  the  report  of  Mr.  Vig- 
noles'  lecture — the  two  former  written  for  the  Journal, 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  cost  on  the  Cumberland  canal  is  about  the 
same,  and  the  experience  of  Pennsylvania  shows,  that  with  boats  of  70  tons 
burden,  seven  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  even  for  long  distances,  yields  but  a 
sorry  remuneration  to  the  boatmen.  Still  coal  is  carried  at  that  rate,  and 
where  the  business  is  very  great,  and  where  small  or  nominal  dividends  only 
are  expefjted,  coal  may  be  carried  on  some  canals  for  one  cent  per  ton  per 
mile.         ,   '■    ..    ■'■.  :  ,       :   '■  .. 


..iaSii   --     -  .  ATMOSPHERIC    RAILWAYS. 

We  gave  in  the  January  number  of  this  Journal,  an  article  on  "  Atmos- 
pheric Railways,"  from  the  Glasgow  "  Practical  Mechanic  and  Engineers' 
Journal."  We  now  give  further  details  in  relation  to  this  interesting  subject, 
m  a  letter  from  one  of  the  patentees,  in  reply  to  inquiries  made  by  the  South 
Carolina  railroad  company,  through  Messrs.  Palmer,  Makillop  and  Co.,  of 


'/ 


-..■■.  j      -  -  ■ 

Atmospheric  Railways.  215 

London.  In  the  Railway  Times,  of  May  18th,  we  find  the  commencement 
of  a  report  of  an  examination  before  a  select  committee  of  parliament,  in 
which  Mr.  J.  Samuda  gives  a  minute  description  of  the  construction  of  the 
atmospheric  working  apparatus — to  which  we  shall  refer  hereafter. 

In  our  next  number  we  shall  republish  most  of  a  "  Treatise  on  the 
adaptation  of  Atmospheric  Pressure,  to  the  purposes  of  Locomotion  on 
.  Railways  ;"  with  engravings,  illustrating  the  mode  of  connecting  the  cars 
with  the  atmospheric  apparatus ;  together  with  a  statement  of  the  cost  of 
construction,  and  expense  of  working,  as  compared  with  the  locomotive  sys- 
tem— based  upon  actual  operations. 

This  system,  Iflf  e  all  new  theories,  especially  if  of  great* importance,  has  to 
work  its  way  against  the  prejudices  of  the  community,  and  in  this  case  against 
the  interests  of  leading  men  connected  with  railroads  in  England— conse- 
quently its  progress  has  been  gradual,  and  mainly  at  the  cost  of  those  im- 
mediately interested  in  it ;  but  if  the  statements  now  before  us  are  to  be  relied 
on,  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  will  at  no  distant  day,  supersede  the  present 
mode  of  working  railways ;  and  that  the  improvement  in  safety,  economy, 
and  speed  will  be  as  great  over  the  present  system  as  that  is  over  the  almost 
obsolete  stage  coaching  of  former  days.  ' 

We  give,  in  this  number,  a  short  extract  from  this  treatise,  which,  if  ac- 
curate, places  the  two  systems  in  a  position  exceedingly  favorable  to  the  at- 
mospheric. We  shall  be  gratified  to  receive  the  views  of  our  correspondents 
on  this  interesting  topic  for  publication  in  the  Journal. 

We  are  under  obligations,  for  these  documents,  to  J.  £L  Bloomfield,  E."<q., 
who  will  please  accept  our  thanks.  ' 

Mr.  D.  K.  Minor  :  By  the  last  steamer,  I  have  been  favored  with  a  copy 
of  Messrs.  Samuda,  Brothers'  communication,  giving  the  cost  of  laying  dowa 
a  mile  of  atmospheric  railway,  as  well  as  the  cost  of  working  the  same- 
being  a  reply  to  an  application  from  a  railway  company  in  this  country, 
who  desire  to  dispense  with  stationary  power,  on  an  inclination  of  360  feet 
to  the  mile. 

It  would  appear  by  Messrs^.  Samuda's  letter,  that  the  atmospheric  principle 
of  motive  power,  costs  5^  pence  sterling  per  train  per  mile  to  run  50  miles 
in  the  hour — while  the  slow  locomotive  engine,  to  run  25  miles  per  hour, 
costs  15  pence,  or  nearly  three  times  as  much,  to  run  with  half  the  speed, 
and  with  greater  risk,  as  I  understand  it,  to  the  passenger. 

I  would  claim  your  notice  of  the  remarks  of  the  editor  of  the  London 
Railway  Times,  of  the  18th  May,  as  well  as  the  first  part  of  the  examina- 
tion of  Mr.  J.  Samuda  before  a  committee  of  the  house  of  parliament,  also  a 
description  of  his  plan. 

"  To  apply  the  subject" — allow  me  to  ask,  if  the  atmospheric  railroad  is 
what  its  friends  claim  for  it,  why  not  adopt  this  plan  to  make  a  railway  to  Al- 
bany 1  The  charter  of  the  New  York  and  Albany  company  will  cover 
the  application  of  this  principle,  and  as  the  objection  heretofore  has  been  that 


216  Atmospheric  Railways.  1 

a  railway  could  not  compete  with  the  North  river  steamboats,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  this  interesting  subject  will  claim  the  early  attention  of  our  en- 
gineers and  mechanics.  We  must  not  be  behind  England — in  this  "  go 
ahead,  age,^'  particularly,  when  we  have  got  Professor  Morse's  magnetic  te- 
legraph, to  announce  in  forty  seconds  that  30  cars,  carrying  1500  passen- 
gers, in  three  hours  from  this  city  to  Albany,  after  breakfast,  desire  that  the 
requisite  arrangements  be  made  for  dinner,  so  as  to  be  in  time  to  take  tea  at 
Buffalo,  over  320  miles  of  intervening  railway. 

Very  respectfully,        J.  E.  B.    > 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  a  Railway  Company  at  Charleston,  to  which 
Messrs.  Samudals  Letter  is  a  Reply.  ,    . 

"  We  have  on  our  railroad  an  inclined  plane  of  360  feet  to  the  mile,  which 
at  present  requires  stationary  power  to  overcome,  but  which  we  are  desirous 
of  dispensing  with.  From  the  examinations  made,  the  operation  will  involve 
no  little  expense,  and  we  have  been  deterred  from  proceeding  by  a  notice 
which  has  appeared  in  the  English  Journals  on  the  success  of  the  atmos- 
pheric railroad  between  Dublin  and  Kingston.  We  are  inclined  to  the 
opinion,  from  what  we  have  read  on  the  subject,  and  from  our  own  calcula- 
tions, that  this  atmospheric  power  may  be  applied  most  advantageously  to 
planes,  and  particularly  where  the  plane  is  not  to  be  avoided  but  by  a  circuit 
and  increase  of  distance,  involving  no  ordinary  expense — we  will,  therefore, 
esteem  it  a  very  great  favor  rendered  to  our  company  if  you  will  obtain  from 
General  Pasley,  R.  E.,  J.  Brunei,  Esq.,  M.  Mallet,  or  Mr.  Vignoles,  or 
from  any  other  competent  source,  the  real  practical  results  of  the  experiment 
now  making,  with  the  cost  of  construction  per  mile,  and  the  power  exerted, 
with  the  advantages  of  this  power  compared  with  steam,  on  the  various  in- 
clina'tions  of  a  railroad.  We  would  be  pleased  to  have  the  arguments  both 
pro  and  con.,  so  that  we  shall  be  the  better  able  to  decide  on  the  two  ques- 
tions which  present  themselves.  .^ 

"  First.  The  expense  of  reducing  the  grade  of  inclination  at  our  plane 
by  a  circuit,  and 

"  Second.  The  expense  of  overcoming  the  inclination  and  delay  at  the 
plane  by  the  new  power." 

Copy  of  Letter  from  Messrs.  Samuda,  Brothers.  '  •« 

«  -  V  ii  '  t  «  Southwark  Iron  Works,  April  30,  1844.    ^ 

"  Messrs  Palmer,  Mackillop  &  Co.  § 

.  "  Gentlemen  :  We  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  inquiries  re- 
specting the  atmospheric  railway,  and  in  reply  beg  to  hand  you  the  follow- 
ing information  which  we  regret  will  not,  in  all  probability,  be  as  complete 
as  your  friends  might  wish,  owing  to  the  want  of  some  information  which 
their  letters  do  not  supply,  and  which  we  would  feel  obliged  by  your  obtain- 
ing for  us.  Thus,  the  length  of  the  inclined  planes  is  not  named.  We  can 
only,  therefore,  in  the  present  instance,  give  them  such  general  information 
as  we  hope  may  be  useful.  '  .    v.  ^   ^  ,v,  ,.,.'.>':*•  ^^r^ 


Atmospheric  Railtcays.   '  217 

"  The  diameter  of  the  vacuum  pipe  which  we  recommend  in  all  ordinary- 
cases  is  15  inches ;  this  will  draw     -a  ^  >;.;;:;5;,    i:  ]  ;  '     ' 


300  tons  on  a  level,  .    ..  .<•  .j^^ 
60    "     up  1  in  160,  ^  : 

65     «      «    1  "  120,  -      f^ 
58    «     "1  "  100,  A 


48  tons  up  I  in  80, 
44  "  "  1  "  70, 
39  "  "  1  «  60, 
33    «    «  1  «  60. 


"  Up  such  an  incline  as  you  name  (360  feet  per  mile,  or  1  in  15  about,) 
it  will  take  12  tons,  which,  in  all  probability,  will  be  too  small  a  load,  if  so, 
however,  the  area  of  the  pipe  will  require  to  be  increaised  till  it  meets  the 
load  you  deem  sufficient — probably  20  to  25  tons  will  suffice,  in  which  case 
a  pipe  of  22  inches  diameter  will  be  required  on  that  incline.  -  •'  ■• 

"  The  engine  power  necessary  depends  on  the  speed  you  require  the  trains 
to  travel — thus  with  a  pipe  15  inches  diameter,  (which  is  capable  of  draw- 
ing any  of  the  loads  on  the  corresponding  gradients  mentioned  in  the  an- 
nexed table.)  an  engine  of  100  horse  power  will  be  sufficient  for  a  speed  of 
50  miles  per  hour,  or  68  horse  power  for  30  miles  per  hour. 

"  The  distance  apart  the  engines  should  be  placed  will  be  slightly  influ- 
enced by  local  circumstances,  but  will  average  3^  miles  from  each  other. 
We  have  subjoined  a  table  showing  the  working  expenses  on  the  atmosphe- 
ric system  on  a  long  line  of  railway,  similar  to  the  London  and  Birming- 
ham here,  and  performing  the  same  amount  of  traffic ;  from  that  statement, 
the  cost  of  haulage  on  the  atj^aospheric  system,  travelling  at  50  miles  per 
hour,  is  -  •■  -    .       -  -     5^rf.  per  train  per  mile, 

while  the  present  cost  with  locomotives,  at  the  t     :  : ^  '    i; 

present  speed  of  25  miles  per  hour,  is  1*.  2d.  "  " 

"  In  the  maintenance  of  way  there  is  abo  a  saving  on  the  atmospheric  sys- 
tem, for  the  destruction  caused  by  the  locomotive  engine  to  the  rails,  and  the 
way  itself,  is  entirely  avoided,  and  in  its  stead,  we  have  only  the  expense  of 
attending  the  mains,  and  which  in  practice  we  find  fully  provided  for  with 
one  laborer  per  mile. 

"  The  cost  of  the  atmospheric  apparatus  will  of  course  be  slightly  influ- 
moed  by  local  causes,  the  price  in  London  will  be  as  follows : 
15  inch  vacuum  pipes,  about  309  lbs.  per  yd.  =  272  tons 

per  mile  at  £6,        -  -  -  -  -       £1632  per  mile. 

"  Continuous  valve  and  fastenings,  viz ; 
Wrought  iron  plates  and  bars,  18^  tons,  -        £129  *^;^i 

Leather,  42  cwt,  -  .  .  -  .    324 

Bolts  and  nuts  24  cwt,  -  ,  *    ^  . .. '^  67 

Labor,  rivets,  oil,  tools,  etc..       '  -  .   ^.      .    250 —    770    "    ** 

Tallow  lining  and  composition  for  grove,        •  •  250    '<    " 

Planing,  drilling  and  lining  with  tallow,  Zs.  Ad.  per  yard,       295    "    *< 
Station  valves,  about  -  •  -  •  -  50    "    «  "; 

Travelling  piston  and  gear,         •  •  •  .       50    '^    << 

£3047    "    «  r. 
Drawings,  8upeniiteDde&ce,8pecificati(»8,  etc,  ny  5  per  ct,     153    <*    " 


M^.«ftw«^.,^MTV    4«i|lT'  i-fr^ipw**^'  y^^- 


218  On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

"  The  cost  of  a  vacuum  main,  22  inches  diameter,  will  be  £4200  per 
mile.  •  . .  -  f ,'''"' 

"  Table  of  workinor  expenses  of  the  atmospheric  system  referred  to,  on  a 
line  similar  to  the  Londoji  and  Birmingham  railway,  112 J  miles  long,  and 
performing  a  similar  traffic.  ,    . 

Coal — each  engine  burns  500  lbs.  per  hour,  and 

works  for  each  train  ...      8|  min.        :. /- 

Add  for  waste  while  standing.  Is.  Sci.,        •  2f  min.'      -.   ^,     ,...;«. 

v^v    V,  .-j^-..:      11    min.  =92  lbs.     I>v>u 

32  engines  x  92  lbs.  =  2944  lbs.,  or  1  ton  6  cwl.  1  qr.  4  lbs.,  at  9s.,  Us.  10  d.' 

Wages — 33  engine  stations,  each  2  men  at  65.  >  ,0     18  X  33 

"  "  "  OS.  )  30  trains 

Repairs  to  engines,  oil,  hemp,  etc.,  5  per  cent,  on  cost,  say  per  .  , >*i 

£212  10s.  X  33  -_    '  k**j 

year,  jTT- -. „-,  . -  -  •     ,      -     .    12s.  10  <t 

■^      '  30  trams  x  365  days  ->       .  .-'.:',i 

Piston  leather2s.,charcoal6rf.,  wear  and  tearoftravellinggear4J<Z..  2s.  lO^d. 

Superintendence,  clerks,  foremen  and  office  expenses,  say  £2500     .  ■,   j:-; 


v 


£2500  ,.  .  .      ^.. 

p^^ ^"""'^ 333;r365'  ■      V     r-      ;.t-i'    ^^ 

Total  haulage  =  b-^d.  per  mile,  .1         '  .     •         51s.  10  d. 

"  Any  other  information  which  your  friends  may  require,  we  shall  at  all 

times  be  happy  to  furnish.        We  are,  etc.  "^ 

•       ^-      [Signed,]         "  Samxtda,  Brothees." -'^^ 

Messrs.  Samuda,  Brothers,  having  omitted  to  state  the  cost  of  stationary 
engines,  they  write  on  10th  May  as  follows : 

"  We  regret  that  we  should  have  omitted  the  price  of  the  stationary  en- 
gines  in  our  particulars  of  the  atmospheric  apparatus  furnished  you.  4'^>p<H 
**  The  price  of  two  50  horse  condensing  engines  with  their  vacuum  \fv>. 

pumps  and  apparatus  complete  in  every  respect,  and  put  on 

board  a  vessel  in  the  Thames,  will  be  -  -  -     £4260 

"  A  pair  of  34  horse  engines  and  pumping  apparatus  as  above,        '  3060." 

it. 

ON  THE   ATMOSPHERIC   SYSTEM. 

"  Ist.  The  I06S  of  power  occasioned  by  the  locomotive  engines  having  to  draw  their  own 
weight  is  entirely  avoided,  and  steep  hills  may  be  ascended  with  no  more  additional  power    . 
than  that  actually  due  to  the  acclivity,  as  there  is  no  weight  except  the  train. 

"  There  is  no  other  known  power  which  can  be  applied  to  locomotion  without  carrying 
considerable  weight  and  friction  with  it.  The  ill  effects  of  locomotive  engines  have  been 
already  pointed  out,  and  the  same  disadvantages  exist  in  the  application  of  ropes,  which 
must  be  drawn  along  with  the  train,  and  become  an  increased  mcumbrance  on  inclined 
planes.    The  defects  of  ropes  in  other  respects  are  too  generally  known  to  need  comment. 

"2d.  The  weight  of  the  rails  and  chairs  on  the  new  system  may  be  less  by  one>third 
than  where  locomotive  engines  are  employed,  as  the  carriages  of  the  train  will  be  too  tight    ' 
to  injure  them.    The  annual  charge  of  mtdntenance  of  way  will,  firom  the  same  cause,  be 
reduced  to  a  considerable  extent. 

"3d.  The  wear  and  tear  of  locomotive,  compared  with  stationary  engines,  is  as  18  to  I. 

"  4th.  By  the  new  system  the  full  power  of  the  engines  is  always  obtained ;  and  on  an 
incline  the  additional  quantity  of  fuel  consumed  in  ascending  will  be  saved  in  descending,  . 
ftg  the  trains  run  down  by  their  own  gravHy.    The  expense  of  fiiel  will  be  farther  do>  ■ 
creased,  as  the  expense  of  using  coal  a  only  half  that  of  coke. 

"  On  the  new  lystem  the  velocity  depends  entirely  npcn  the  velocity  with  which  the  air 


On  the  Atmospheric  System. 


219 


is  withdrawn  from  the  jripe ;  therefore,  by  simply  increasing  the  air  pump,  any  speed  may 
be  attained ;  and  with  a  fixed  quantity  of  trathc  per  diem,  no  considerable  increase  in  the 
fuel  consumed  or  any  other  expense  is  incurred  for  improving  speed,  further  than  the  small 
additional  power  required  to  overcome  the  increased  atmospheric  resistance.  An  actual 
saving  in  the  first  cost  of  a  railway  constructed  for  high  velocities  may  be  effected,  because 
by  performing  the  journey  in  less  time,  a  greater  number  of  trains  may  be  despatched  each 
day,  and  theu:  weight  diminished  ;  therefore  the  piston,  having  less  to  draw,  may  be  smaller 
in  diameter.  The  cost  of  the  pipe  (which  forms  the  largest  item  in  the  first  cost  of  this 
railway)  will  thus  be  reduced  in  nearly  the  same  proportion  as  the  speed  is  increased. 

"  Besides  these  advantages,  the  system  possesses  others  of  still  more  importance  to  the 
public.  No  collision  between  trains  can  take  place,  for  as  the  power  cannot  be  affiled  to 
more  than  one  piston  at  a  time  in  the  same  section  of  pipe,  the  trains  must  ever  be  the 
length  of  a  section  apart  from  each  other ;  and  if  from  any  cause  a  »rain  should  be  stopped 
in  the  middle  of  a  section,  the  train  which  follows  it  will  be  obliged  to  stop  also  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  pipe,  as  there  will  be  no  power  to  propel  it  until  the  first  train  is  out.  It  js 
also  impossible  for  two  trains  to  run  in  opposite  directions  on  the  same  line,  as  the  power 
is  only  applied  at  one  end  of  each  section.  A  train  cannot  get  off  the  rail,  as  the  leading 
carriage  is  firmly  attached  to  the  piston,  which  travels  in  the  pipe  l>etween  the  rails,  and, 
the  luggage  and  carriages  cannot  be  burnt,  as  no  engines  travel  with  the  trains.  > 

"  We  now  come  to  the  comparative  cost  of  the  two  systems. 

"  1st.  The  necessity  of  having  the  railway  comparatively  level  causes  the  present  enor- 
nxous  outlay  for  earth  work,  viaducts  and  tunnelling,  and  increases  the  cost  of  land,  not 
only  by  lengthening  the  line  to  save  cutting  and  embankment,  but  by  the  quantity  wasted 
on  each  side  of  the  road  wherever  such  work  is  required.  Thus,  if  an  embankment  or 
cutting  has  to  be  made  of  30  feet,  at  least  60  feet  of  land  must  be  covered  on  each  side  of 
the  railway  in  order  to  obtain  sufficient  slope,  malting  a  width  of  120  feet,  besides  the  road, 
except  where  they  occur  in  very  favorable  ground.  The  comparative  expense  of  this  item, 
between  the  two  systems  can  be  ascertained  by  referring  to  the  average  cost  of  forming  a 
turnpike  road  and  that  of  the  principal  railroads  now  in  operation. 

"  Since  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  detours  to  avoid  steep  gradients,  the  direction  of  the 
road  in  a  straight  line  may  be  more  nearly  pre||rved." 

LOCOMOTIVE  SYSTEM.  Per  mile. 

Taking  five  of  the  principal  railroads  as  the  basis  of  our  calculation,  their 

average  expense  of  formation  has  exceeded*     -  -  -  £36,000 

And  the  origmai  stock  of  locomotives,        -  -  a  -:ft  ;•- ■■v.'>;---;;v--''       1,600 

--'"'  £37^600 
ATMOSPHERIC  SYSTEM.  Per  mile. 

The  average  expense  of  forming  a  turnpike  road  throughout  Elngland 

has  been  £3000  per  mile,  but  for  our  road  say  -  £4,000 

Allow  extra  for  road  bridges,  .  -  -  2,000 

Rails,  chairs,  sleepers  and  laying  down,  -  -  3,&00 

Mtdn  pipe  and  apparatus  complete  (on  a  scale  for  transporting  360  tons 

per  hour,  or  5000  tons  per  day  of  fourteen  hours,  on  a  road  with  gra- 

diente  of  1  in  100),             -                   -                   -                   -^          5,900  T;    : 

Fixed  engines,  air  pumps,  and  engine  houses,    -                    -                       1,400  »^..  . 

Travelling  pistons,  -  .  -  -        90 

15,120 
Saving  per  mile  in  forming  and  furnishing  on  the  atmospheric  systsm,       22,480 

^7,600 
Annual  expenses  of  working  per  mile,  when  conveying  two  thousand  tons  per  day. 
(This  is  beyond  the  average  quantity  conveyed  on  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railroad :) 

LOCOMOTIVE  SYSTEM.  Per  mile> 

5  per  cent,  interest  on  capital  invested,  £37,600,  - 
Maintenance  of  way,  .... 

Locomotive  department,  including  coke, 

ATMOSPHERIC   SYSTEM. 

5  per  cent,  interiston  caiHtal  invested,  viz.,  £15,120, 
Maintenance  of  way,  andi  attendance  on  mains, 
Wear  and  tear  of  fixed  engines,  5  per  cent,  of  cost,    - 
Coal,  0-75  lb.  per  ton  per  mile,  214  tons,  at  20b., 
Wages  to  enginemen  and  strokers, 

1,400 

*Oar  calculations  an  feniidwl  on  the  reports  of  difliueat  compaaie*  wheae  railways  are  complete, 
or  ia  a  forwacd  atate. 


. 

£1,880 

. 

450 

- 

1,800 

4,130 

Per  mile. 

£756 

■     300 

•^'■-  • 

70 

-     914 

' 

60 

,'ii^£. 


ttO  lUiscetlanea. 


•*-.i^ 


1,400 


Wages  to  train  conductors,  ... 

Renewal  of  travelling  appan^as  and  compoeiiion,        -  •  50 

Sondiies,   -  -  '■•••    ;■;■  ;.7'-' •r«;,\        .s.-'-?   •.'"■■  -      160 


1,6 

Annual  saving  per  mile  on  the  atmospheric  system,  •  :'     *   2>&04 

Total  expenses  per  ton  per  mile  on  the  locomotive  system,  -  *    -  l,54d. 

"  "  "    atmospheric    "  -  -  0,06d. 

Exclusive  of  carriages  and  management,  which  may  be  taken  as  the  same  on  both  syv- 
tems. 


MISCELLANEA.  .  • '    -^  ^  ..-.     .     |    ?.:  *  . 

There  is  a  very  interesting  though  somewhat  discursive  article  on  "  Aque- 
ducts and  canals"  in  the  London  (Quarterly  Review,  for  March  last.  It  will 
perhaps  astonish  the  advocates  of  canals  to  learn  that  the  Duke  of  Bridge- 
water  regarded  with  no  little  uneasiness,  and  with  almost  incredible  fore- 
sight, the  ultimate  capabilities  of  the  railway,  though  at  that  time  nothing 
beyond  the  common  tramroad  existed.  When  congratulated  on  at  length 
reaping  the  profits  of  his  perseverance  and  sacrifices,  he  replied  "  Yes,  we 
shall  do  well  enough  if  we  can  keep  clear  of  those  d — d  tramroads." 

The  Croton  aqueduct  is  also  mentioned  in  these  flattering  terms :  "  Till 
London  with  all  its  water  companies  is  as  well  supplied  with  accessible 
water  as  modern  Rome  is  by  only  ^>ro  of  the  aqueducts,  whether  fourteen, 
as  some  count  them,  or  twenty,  which  ancient  Rome  possessed,  we  must 
content  ourselves,  Anglo-Saxons  as  we  are,  with  resorting  to  New  York  for 
wise  saw  and  modern  instance,  and  must  lead  our  readers  to  drink  at  the 
Croton  aqueduct."  •'/'^'    I 

The  reviewdr  has  got  it  into  his  head  that  there  is  some  doubt  as  to  the 
work  accomplishing  its  object.  The  only  objections  we  have  heard  are  that 
the  deviations  from  the  original  plan  in  the  Harlem  bridge  and  dam  in  the 
Croton  have  cost  the  city  several  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  that  archi- 
^  tectural  effect  appears  to  have  been  avoided  not  by  an  increase,  but  certainly 
without  any  diminution  of  expenditure.  There  having  been  no  estimate  of 
income,  and  the  expenditure  having  been  in  fact  "  ad  libitum,"  the  Croton 
water  works  have  escaped  the  searching  and  infallible  ordeal  through  which 
the  railway  has  to  pass.  But  as  regards  the  supply  of  water  with  referene** 
to  quality  and  quantity,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  excellence  of  the  for<- 
mer,  or  the  abundance  of  the  latter. 

The  Mohawk  and  Hudson  railroad  company  having  done  away  with  the 
use  of  the  inclined  plane  at  Schenectady,  are  now  engaged  in  building  an 
entire  new  road  at  Albany,  in  order  to  avoid  the  inclined  plane  at  that  city. 

The  Long  Island  railroad  company  are  making  a  tunnel  in  Atlantic  street, 
Brooklyn,  in  order  to  bring  the  engines  near  the  ferry,  and  to  do  away  with  ,^ 
the  use  of  horses.  It  will  also  save  time,  and  thus  aid  them  in  competing 
for  the  Boston  travel.  Should  this  meet  the  eye  of  the  engineers  of  the  above 
important  works,  we  would  beg  leave  to  intimate  that  some  details  as  to  the 
annual  cost  on  the  old  plan,  the  saving  by  the  new  and  the  outlay  by  which  ^ 


..  ..  '^1 .  s.il^lL- :..li_;v  ^  •  V-  .  ■ 


"♦^.V' 


Rates  of  Fare  and  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads. 


that  saving  is  effected  would  be  of  interest  to  our  readers  generally,  and,  as 
we  have  in  another  part  of  this  number  endeavored  to  show,  would  be  at- 
tended with  no  disadvantage  to  themselves. 

The  Central  railroad  (Michigan)  will  be  opened  in  July  to  Marshall,  and 
in  the  fall  to  Kalamazoo. 

Enlargement  of  the  Lachine  Canal. — "  In  the  list  of  imports  by  the  La- 
chine  canal  in  this  day's  Grazette,  will  be  found  the  cargo  of  the  Quebec  forwarding  com- 
pany's barge  Shannon,  consisting  of  1903  barrels  of  flour.  This,  we  are  informed,  is  the 
lamest  cargo  ever  brought  from  uie  upper  country  to  this  market,  by  about  400  barrels." — 
[Montreal  paper.] 

Here  it  will  be  seen  that  a  wooden  canal  boat,  which  passes  the  old  locks 

of  this  canal,  has  actually  brought  down  190  tons  of  freight.     An  iron  boat 

would  take  250  tons.     Now  we  know  that  100  boats  per  day  can  be  passed 

through  single  locks  with  ease,  and — we  quote  from  memory— the  total 

amount  of  western  produce,  via  the  St  Lawrence,  does  not  exceed  600,000 

to  700,000  barrels  per  annum ;  and  100  boats  with  1900  barrels  each,  gives 

190,000  barrels  per  day.     Hence,  the  old  Lachine  canal  will  easily  pass  the 

western  freight  in  5  or  6  days,  and  would  not  require  more  than  10  or  12  days 

to  pass  all  the  flour  and  pork  which  passes  over  the  Erie  canal.     Yet  the 

former  is  to  be  enlarged  from  20  x  100,  (the  size  of  the  present  locks,)  to 

46  X  200,  and  the  channel  of  the  canal  in  proportion?    The  "  Canals  of 

Canada"  have,  however,  been  thoroughly  discussed  in  the  Journal,  and  we 

only  allude  to  them  now  to  show  that  the  views  of  the  writer  are  fully  borne 

out  by  experience,  and  also  to  give  a  practical  and  striking  example  of  the  - - 

ruinous  consequences  which  infallibly  result  from  entrusting  to  political  ad-  ! 

venturers  the  management  of  works,  to  the  success  of  which  that  character 

and  skill,  which  we  have  strongly  insisted  on  in  our  opening  article,  so 

largely  contribute,  and  without  which  all  is  a  lottery. 


RATES   OF   FARE   AND   RATES   OF   SPEED   ON  RAILROADS. 

In  our  number  for  April  we  presented  some  considerations  on  this  subject, 
and  cited  the  case  of  the  line  of  railroads  between  New  York  and  Wash- 
ington, as  one  on  which  rates  of  fare,  much  higher  than  could  be  judicious, 
were  adopted.     Our  impression  is  that  the  prosperity  of  this  route  of  travel 
has  been  much  retarded  by  these  rates,  which  have  a  tendency  to  throw  off 
the  travel  on  other  routes,  and  at  the  same  time  to  prevent  the  increase  which  ;  - 
at  more  reduced  rates  would  take  place  between  the  cities  which  it  connects.  -: 
At  the  same  time,  it  was  evident  to  us,  that  the  present  rates  of  &re,  if  con- 
tinued, must  lead  to  rival  lines  being  gotten  up  between  these  cities,  of  an  % 
inferior  character  perhaps,  but  at  more  reduced  charges  to  the  traveller,  '; 
which  would  carry  off  much  of  the  aliment  pertaining  to  these  works ;  and  T 
aff  friends  of  the  railroad  system,  reluctant  to  see  it  retrograde,  we  were     : 
anxious  to  see  a  policy  adopted,  which,  while  it  was  liberal  to  the  public,  v' 
"vna  the  true  policy  for  the  railroad  companies.     At  a  rate  of  from  $2  to 
$2  GO  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  the  same  between  Philadel- 
phia and  Baltimore,  and  from  $1  to  $1  50,  at  &rthest,  between  Baltissore 


-1.;:- 


2^2  Rates  of  Fare  and  Rates  of  Speed  on  Railroads.\ 

and  Washington,  and  with  not  raore  than  four  and  a  half  hours  between 
New  York  and  Phila4elphia,  and  from  five  to  five  and  a  half  between 
P^hiladelphia  and  Baltimore,  the  railroads  connecting  these  towns  may  mo- 
nopolize,the  whole  travel  between  them,  and  that  greatly  increased,  probably 
nmch  more  than  doubled,  by  such  a  policy  ;  but  we  predict  if  the  present 
high  rates  of  fare,  and  low  rates  of  speed,  on  this  great  line  are  continued, 
a  year  will  not  elapse  before  rival  lines  of  steamboats  and  stages  will  be  estab- 
lished throughout  its  whole  extent ;  and  if  established  they  will  be  sustained, 
both  because  at  the  present  reduced  prices  of  labor,  provisions  and  materials, 
they  will  be  kept  up  at  a  comparatively  reduced  cost,  and  because  the  pub- 
lic, which  considers  its  good  nature  to  have  been  abused  by  the  railroad 
companies,  will  be  inclined  to  support  them.  We  trust  that  the  railroad 
companies  will  look  calmly  at  the  subject,  and  see  to  what  they  are  at  pre- 
sent exposed  by  their  too  grasping  policy,  and  mistaken  views  of  it,  and  as 
we  expressed  ourselves  in  our  previous  number,  on  the  subject,  will  "  act  on 
the  principle  of  the  ounce  of  prevention  being  worth  the  pound  of  cure. ' 

It  is  apt  to  be  the  case  that  we  are  not  apprehensive  of  danger  where  we 
have  been  for  some  time  exposed  to  it,  and  the  companies  in  question,  having 
so  far  escaped  any  direct  competition,  may  perhaps  think  themselves  safe  from 
it.  But  they  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  country  is  no  longer  in  the  pros- 
trate condition  in  which  it  has  been  since  the  revulsion  of  1837,  and  that  a 
spirit  of  enterprize  is  now  abroad,  which  will  leave  unexplored  no  avenue 
to  profit.  Ericsson  boats  have  been  already  built,  and  more  are  building, 
for  the  conveyance  of  freight  and  passengers  between  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia, New  York  and  Richmond,  and  Philadelphia  and  Richmond. 
These  boats  may  be  expected  to  divert  some  travel  from  the  railroad  lines, 
but  nothing  in  comparison  with  what  would  be  taken  from  them  by  lines 
of  stages  and  steamboats  at  a  reduced  rate  between  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia,  and  Ericsson  steamboats  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  by 
way  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  canal,  or  a  line  of  very  quick  steam- 
boats on  the  Delaware  river,  and  Chesapeake  bay,  connected  by  an  expedi- 
tious stage  line  between  Newcastle  and  Frenchtown,  or  parallel  to  the  Chesa- 
peake and  Delaware  canal.  An  independent  canal  line,  or  a  day  line  of 
quick,  steamboats  could  not  fail  to  do  well  at  half  the  present  rates  of  fare 
charged  by  the  railroad  company  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore. 

We  say  an  independent  canal  line,  because  there  is  at  present  a  daily  line 
of  Ericsson  boats  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  on  the  canal  route, 
but  these  it  is  generally  understood  are  owned  by  the  railroad  company,  or 
large  stockholders  in  it,  and  are  now,  not  to  make  money  by  the  trsuisporta- 
tion  of  passengers,  but  rather  to  keep  travel  from  the  canal,  and  throw  it  oa 
the  railroad,  the  rates  with  this  view  being  kept  nearly  as  high  by  the  canal 
line  as  on  the  railroad  itself  The  fact  that  few  travellers  under  these  cir- 
cumstances take  the  canal  route,  is  no  evidence  that  a  really  effective  liae  on 
the  canal  would  not  carry  off  a  very  large  travel.  On  the  contrary  we  are 
rery  much  mistaken,  if  a  night  line  on  this  route  would  not  compete  even  at 


lJ^Ji^M^-^i':f^.  ,!^-.V.'- 


Itemt.  '       '   .;'"■:,...  -  "'  ■;»  .  -.  223 


the  same  rate  of  fere  very  advantageously  with  the  railroad ;  and,  therefore, 
if  once  gotten  up  and  prosperous,  there  would  be  no  probability  of  the  rail- 
road company  putting  it  down,  or  buying  it  up  without  a  great  sacrifice. 

Instead  of  adopting  a  policy  which  will  certainly  bring  about  these  results, 
we  would  earnestly  urge  the  companies  between  this  and  Baltimore  to  look 
to  the  other  side  of  the  picture,  and  see  what  may  be  done  by  diminished 
rates  of  fare  and  increased  speed.  In  the  first  place  their  example  would  be 
followed  by  other  railroad  companies  south  and  west  of  them,  and  the  whole 
of  that  travel  which  is  now  diverted  to  the  sea,  and  passes  between  the  north 
and  south  in  sloops  and  schooners,  or  which  passes  up  the  Hudson,  and 
thence  around  by  the  great  lakes,  even  to  New  Orleans,  would  pass  over 
their  railroad  and  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  to  Wheeling,  or  by  the 
railroads  south  of  Baltimore  to  the  south  and  south-west.  Secondly,  the 
local  travel  between  the  large  cities  would  be  greatly  increased.  But,  lastly, 
and  what  seems  to  us  of  much  more  moment  than  any  other  consideration, 
the  companies  would  establish  the  prosperity  of  their  works  on  a  more  per- 
manent foundation,  both  by  doing  away  with  the  temptation  which  now  ex- 
ists to  competition,  and  by  satisfying  the  public  which  is  at  present  univer- 
sally impressed  with  the  opinion  that  the  fares  on  the  great  routes  in  ques- 
tion are  too  high,  and  their  rates  of  speed  too  slow,  and  that  in  other  respects 
it  is  not  accommodated  on  them  as  it  ought  to  be. 

Our  thanks  are  due  to  the  Hon.  Asher  Tyler,  the  Hon.  Horace  Wheaton 
and  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish,  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  for  public 
documents — recently  received. 

Elihu  BuRRiTT  expresses  himself  as  follows  in  relation  to  the  "  iron 
horse"  of  the  railroad :  how  few  there  are  who  can  do  it  more  eloquently. 
"  I  love,"  says  he,  "to  see  one  of  these  huge  creatures,  with  sinews  of  brass 
and  muscles  of  iron,  strut  forth  from  his  smoky  stable,  and,  saluting  the  long 
train  of  cars  with  a  dozen  sonorous  puffs  from  his  iron  nostrils,  fall  gently 
back  into  his  harness.  There  he  stands,  champing  and  foaming  upon  the 
iron  track,  his  great  heart  a  furnace  of  glowing  coals ;  his  lymphatic  blood 
is  boiling  in  his  veins ;  the  strength  of  a  thousand  horses  is  nerving  his 
sinews — h«  pants  to  be  gone.  He  would '  snake'  St.  Peter's  across  the  desert 
of  Sahara,  if  he  could  be  fairly  hitched  to  it,  but  there  is  a  little  sober  eyed, 
tobacco  chewing  man  in  the  saddle,  who  holds  him  in  with  one  finger,  and 
can  take  away  his  breath  in  a  moment,  should  he  grow  restive  and  vicious. 
I  am  always  deeply  interested  in  this  man ;  for,  begrimed  as  he  may  be  with 
coal,  diluted  in  oil  and  steam,  I  regard  him  as  the  genius  of  the  whole  ma- 
chinery, as  the  physical  mind  of  that  huge  steam  horse." 

Fitchburgh  Railroad.— The  cars  on  this  road  made  their  first  appearance 
at  Concord  on  Thursday,  June  6th,  and  the  trains  will  now  run  regularly  ; 
the  track  is  progressing  rapidly  towards  Vermont,  and — Canada  ?  certainly. 

Since  the  above,  we  have  received  a  copy  of  their  report,  and  shall  refer 
to  it  in  our  next. 

Railroad  Accident— ^n  the  Syracuse  and  Auburn  railroad,  on  Wednes- 
day evening,  5th  June,  says  the  Rochester  daily  Advertiser,  without  other 
injury  than  what  was  sustained  by  the  "  iron  horse."  Would  it  have  occurred 
if  the  cars  had  been  moved  on  the  "  atmospheric"  principle  ?  Mr.  Samvda, 
one  of  the  inventors,  says  it  is  impossible.  7 


:.:£^.y---^ 


' -1  ■:.■?**£:::«.  .  ■ ;-.  Li.s=,:i;  ».  .^ 


224  Items. 

Norwich  and  Worcester  Railroad. — The  Norwich  Courier,  of  June  4th, 

says  that  the  annual  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  railroad 
took  place  in  this  city  yesterday.  The  following  gentlemen  were  elected  directors  for  the 
cnsuincr  year :  D.  Tyler,  W.  P.  Green,  J.  A.  Rockwell,  Norwich ;  A.  DcWitt,  Oxford ; 
W.  w!  Ward,  Boston ;  S.  R.  Brooks,  Jacob  Little,  Elihu  Townsend,  John  Rankin,  Al- 
fre<l  Brooks,  New  York ;  Asa  W.  H.  Clapp,  Portland,  Me. 

It  is  said  that  is  in  contemplation  to  extend  the  Long  Island  railroad  seven  miles  beyond 
Greenport,  bringing  its  terminus  to  within  fourteen  miles  of  New  London.  Another  pro- 
ject on  the  tapis  is  to  extend  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  road  down  the  river  to  a  point 
opposite  or  below  New  London,  so  that  the  termini  of  the  two  roads  shall  be  brought  with- 
in 13  or  14  miles  of  each  other.  Thus  this  route  between  Boston  and  New  York  would 
be  substantially  a  land  route.  If,  then,  the  distance  from  New  York  to  the  eastern  termi- 
nus of  the  Long  Island  road — one  hundred  and  one  miles — shall  be  accomplished  in  three 
hours — no  more  and  no  less — (and  that  is  what  the  company  confidently  expect  to  do)  this 
route  will  inevitably  be  the  quickest,  surest  and  most  popular  route  between  the  two  cities. 
As  such,  it  is  sure,  also,  to  become  the  great  mail  route. 

Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad. — The  stockholders,  at  their  annual 
meeting  on  Monday,  3d  Jupe,  says  the  Bay  State  Democrat,  re-elected  Messrs.  Nathan 
Hale,  David  Hcnshaw,  Daniel  Denny  Eliphalet  Williams,  George  Morey  and  Nathaniel 
Hammond,  directors — and  chose  Messrs.  John  Hathaway,  Abraham  T.  Low  and  Benja- 
min F.  White^  in  place  of  Messrs.  Moses  Williams,  Addison  Gilmore  and  Nathaniel  F. 
Emmons,  who  declined  a  re-election.  The  annual  report  w£is  submitted  and  ordered  to  be 
printed. 

We  have  received  a  copy  of  the  report — from  some  kind  friend,  who  will  please  accept 
our  thanks — but  have  not  yet  had  time  to  examine  it,  will  do  so,  however,  in  time  for  our 
next  number. 

Boston  and  Providence  Railroad. — At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  stock 
holders  of  the  Boston  and  Providence  railroad,  the  old  board  of  directors  were  re-elected. 
The  receipts  from  January  1st,  1843,  to  January  1st,  1844,  have  been  S98,82l,  against 
S75,620  in  the  same  time  of  1843 — increase  S2if,201 .  The  month  of  June  is  estimated  at 
$26,000 — last  year,  ^23,749.  The  expenses  have  been  materially  less  than  in  1843,  and 
the  nett  revenue  for  the  past  six  months  will  be  nearly  equal  to  what  it  was  when  the 
whole  New  York  business  was  done  by  this  road.  It  was  voted  to  subscnbe  S'40,000  in 
aid  of  the  Stoughton  Branch  railroad,  which  insures  its  being  built,  and  will  give  a  large 
addition  of  busiAess  to  the  Providence.  The  freight  has  increased  this  year  %  per  cent. 
to  way  stations,  and  1 1  per  cent,  to  New  York. — [N.  Y.  American.] 

Greenfitld  and  Northampton  Railroad. — We  learn,  says  the  Greenfield 
(Mass.)  Democrat,  that  Mr.  Hoyt,  is  making  good  progress  in  the  survey  of  this  road. 
From  a  point  a  tittle  this  side  of  Northampton,  for  the  distance  of  about  11  miles,  the  road 
can  be  made  in  a  right  line  "  as  straight  as  an  arrow,"  and  perfectly  level.  The  country 
is  so  level  that  the  expense  of  grading  that  part  of  it  cannot  exceed  one  thousand  dollars 
per  mile.  So  favorable  a  location  for  a  railroad  can  scarcely  be  found  in  "New  England." 
The  distance  from  Greenfield  to  Northampton,  by  the  railroad,  will  be  18  1-2  miles. 

Another  Railway. — The  Hartford  papers  recommend  the  construction  of 
a  railway  from  that  city  to  Dan  bury,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  direct  railway  commu- 
nication from  Boston  and  Hartford  to  New  York ;  in  opposition  to  the  proposed  railway 
from  New  Haven  to  Bridgeport.  The  distance  from  Hartford  to  New  York  via  Danbuiy 
it  is  estimated  can  be  performed  in  four  hours.  The  highest  gradients  will  not  exceed  40 
feet  per  mile,  and  the  road  will  pass  through  Waterbury  and  severed  manufacturing  villages. 

At  an  election  of  directors  of  the  Mohawk  and  Hudson  railroad  company,  held  on  the 
r2th  inst ,  the  following  prsons  were  elected  directorsfor  the  ensuing  year :  George  Law, 
Jacob  Little,  Edward  Mills,  Wm;  S.  Hoyt  and  John  B.  Lasala,  of  ISfew  York ;  Rufus  H. 
King,  Augustus  James,  Herman  Pumpelly  and  John  V.  L.  Pruyn,  of  Albany.  And  at 
a  meeting  of  the  board  held  the  same  day,  Geoi^e  Law  was  re-elected  president  and  Jacob 
Little  vice  president. 

CONTENTS:  —— 


Pi 


^ 


Remarks  on  the  profession, 

Canadian  works,  196 

ExpUnation  and  arrangement  of  the  tables,  197 
Bxamplet,  showing  the  manner  of  using  the 

tablM.  197 

Memorandum — cubical  quantities,  207 

Vew  rotary  engine,  907 


^ 


Railway  administration, 

Cost  of  transportation, 

Atmospheric  railways,  i          2i4 

On  the  atmospheric  system,  Slg 

Miscellanea,  I'         390 

Ratasof&raaadratMeffpMdoBrailiewb,    m 

Ittou,  SB 


^rOl/yr    .  '  .-     \    Sm 


-i^-'    ,-■■ 


•  > 


■^^'**^' AMERICAN       "       '    '  .     '^■ 

RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 

AND 

MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE. 


Pnblishtid  Monthijr  at  23  Chamberi'St.  New  York,  >  S  n    ir    wrurt    irj-.„ 

at  «2  a-year,  in  advance,  or  3  copies  for  $5.       \     .  }  "■  *-  J*"*"'  Editor. 

No.   8,  Vol.   2.    ;  ATTrTTG^     Iftdil  J  Whole  No.  439. 

Third  Series.      \  AtXjrU&l,    1044.  ^       Vol.  XVIL 

I'  ATMOSPHERIC     RAILWAY. 

^  In  our" July  number  we  published  a  letter  from  Messrs.  Samuda,  Brothers, 
the  patentees  of  this  new  mode  of  working  railways,  and  promised  to  give 
in  a  subsequent  number,  a  further  description,  with  illustrations.  In  accor- 
dance with  that  promise  we  now  give  the  main  part  of  a  short  "  treatise  on 
the  adaptation  of  atmospheric  pressure  to  the  purposes  of  locomotion  on 
railways,"  by  M.  J.  D'A.  Samuda,  together  with  several  extracts  from  the 
examination  of  Mr.  Cubit,  Mr.  S.  K.  Brunei,  and  Mr.  Robert  Stephenson, 
engineers  of  reputation,  before  a  committee  of  the  house  of  commons,  in 
relation  to  its  advantages  as  compared  with  the  present  locomotive  engine 
system  of  working  railways.  Mr.  Stephenson  appears  to  take  decided 
ground  against  the  principle,  yet  he  admits  that  "  its  safety  is  nearly  perfect 
if  you  keep  the  trains  moving  in  one  direction,  at  the  same  time" — that  is 
to  say  there  is  no  danger  of  running  off  the  track — or  the  only  danger  of 
accident  arises  from  the  possibility  of  two  trains  meeting,  of  which  it  seems 
to  us  there  is  little  probability ;  but  the  other  gentlemen  were  decidedly  in 
its  favor,  as  the  extracts  from  their  examination  will  show;  and,  "the de- 
cision of  the  committee  was  unanimously  g^ven  in  favor  of  the  Croydon 
and  Epsom  line  to  be  worked  by  the  atmospheric  system,  to  the  exclusion 
of  the  other." 

It  is  by  no  means  surprising  that  there  should  be  a  diversity  of  opinicm 
among  gentlemen  of  the  profession,  as  well  as  others,  in  relation  to  an  in- 
vention which,  if  it  i^  in  reality  what  its  friends  claim  for  it,  bids  fair  to  pro- 
duce a  revolution  in  the  present  mode  of  railroad  locomotion.  And  eveu 
Mr.  Stephenson,  high  as  he  stands  as  an  engineer,  and  manufacturer  of  lo- 
comotive engines,  may  be  as  much  mistaken,  and  as  honestly  so  too,  as  was 
Dr.  Lardner  in  relation  to  Atlantic  steam  navigation ;  but  we  see  no  reason 
to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  the  experiments  and  the  correctness  of  the  obser- 
vations made  by  the  other  gentlemen  who  were  examined  by  the  committee. 
At  all  events,  we  think  we  see  enough  in  it  to  warrant  us  in  laymg  it  before 
our  readfers,  and  to  request  those  editors  with  whom  we  exchange  to  do  the 
same  to  theirs,  or  to  call  attention  to  the  Journal  containing  it.  Jr 


296 


On  the  Atmospheric  SysUm. 


DESCEIPTION   OF   CLEOO  AND   SAMUDa's   ATMOSPHERIC    RAILWAY. 

On  this  system  of  working  railways  the 
moving  power  is  communicated  to  the  train 
by  means  of  a  continuous  pipe  or  main  A, 
laid  between  the  rails,  and  divided  by  sepa- 
rating valves  into  suitable  and  convenient 
lengths  for  exhaustion ;  a  partial  vacuum 
is  formed  in  this  pipe  either  by  steam  en- 
gines and  air  pumps  fixed  at  intervals  along 
the  road,  or  by  water  power,  if  the  nature 
of  the  country  be  such  as  to  afford  it — 
These  valves  are  opened  by  the  train  as  it 
advances,  without  stoppage  or  reduction  of 
speed.  A  piston  B,  which  is  made  to  fit  air 
tight  by  means  of  a  leather  packing,  is  intro- 
duced into  the  main  pipe*  and  connected  to 
the  leading  carriage  of  each  train  by  an  iron 
plate  C,  which  travels  through  a  lateral 
opening  the  whole  length  of  the  pipe.  This 
lateral  opening  is  covered  by  a  valve  G, 
extending  the  whole  length,  formed  of  a 
strip  of  leather  riveted  between  iron  plates ; 
the  top  plates  are  wider  than  the  groove, 
and  serve  to  prevent  the  external  air  forc- 
ing the  leather  into  the  pipe  when  the  vac- 
uum is  formed ;  the  lower  plates  fit  the 
groove  when  the  valve  is  shut,  and  making 
up  the  circle  of  the  pipe,  prevent  the  air 
passing  the  piston ;  as  shown  in  figs.  2,  3 
and  4.  One  edge  of  this  valve  is  securely 
held  down  by  iron  bars  a  a,  fastened  by 
screw-bolts  b  b  io  a.  longitudinal  rib  c,  cast 
on  the  pipe  on  one  side  of  the  lateral  open- 
ing, and  the  leather  between  the  plates  and 
the  bar  being  flexible,  forms  a  hinge  as  in  a 
common  pump  valve ;  the  other  edge  of 
the  valve  falls  on  the  surface  of  the  pipe  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  opening,  thus  form- 
ing one  side  of  a  trough  F,  as  shown  in 
figs.  2,  3,  4.  This  trough  is  filled  with  a 
composition  of  bees'  wax  and  tallow,  which 
substance  is  solid  at  the  temperature  of  the 
atmosphere,  and  becomes  fluid  when  heated 
a  few  degrees  above  it.  This  composition 
adheres  to  the  edge  of  the  valve,  which 
lorms  one  side  ot  the  trough,  &"that  part  of  the  pipe  which  forms  the  other,  & 
produces  perfect  contact  between  them  ;  but  as  the  piston  advances,  the  valve  G 
must  be  raised  to  allow  the  connecting  plate  C  to  pass,  and  this  is  effected  by 
four  wheels  H  H  H  H  fixed  to  the  piston-rod  behind  the  piston,  and  the  ap- 
erture thus  formed  serves  also  for  the  free  admission  of  air  to  press  on  the 

*  When  the  first  division  or  section  is  exhausted,  the  separating  valve  is  opened,  and 
the  front  of  the  piston  being  thus  exposed  to  the  exhausted  portion  of  the  pipe,  the  atmos- 
pheric air  pressing  on  the  luu:k  of  it  propels  it  forward  in  the  pipe,  and  with  it  the  train  to 
which  it  is  attached. 


^^tmMt:    ^l>r- 


On  the  Atmospherie  System. 


back  of  the  piston:  by  this 
operation  of  raising  the  valve 
out  of  the  trough,  the  com- 
position between  it  and  the 
pipe  is  broken,  and  the  air- 
tight contact  must  be  repro- 
duced. To  effect  this,  an- 
other steel  wheel  R  is  attach- 
ed to  the  carriage,  regulated 
by  a  spring  which  serves  to 
insure  the  perfect  closing  of 
the  valve  by  running  over 
the  top  plates  immediately 
after  the  arm  has  passed,  and 
a  copper  tube  or  heater  N 
about  5  feet  long,  filled  with 
burning  charcoal,  is  also  fix- 
ed to  the  under  side  of  the 
carriage,  and  passes  over  and 
re-melts  the  surface  of  the 
composition  which  has  been 
broken  by  lifting  the  valve, 
and  which  upon  cooling  be- 
comes solid,  hermetically 
sealing  the  valve  as  before. 


Fig.  2. 


Fig.  a 


Thus  each  train  in  passing  leaves  the  pipe  in  a  fit  state  to  receive  the 
next  train.  A  protecting  cover,  I,  formed  of  thin  plates  of  iron  about  5 
feet  long,  hinged  with  leather,  is  placed  over  the  valve,  and  serves  to  pre- 
serve it  from  snow  or  rain ;  the  end  of  each  plate  underlaps  the  next  in  the 
direction  of  the  piston's  motion,  thus  insuring  the  lifting  of  each  in  sue* 
cession,  which  is  effected  by  the  wheels  D  6xei  under  the  carria^ 


On  the  Atmotpkeric  SyttemV 


Fig.  6  is  the  exit  separa- 
ting valve,  or  that  at  the  end 
of  the  section  nearest  to  its 
steam  engine ;  this  valve  is 
opened  by  the  compression 
of  air  caused  by  the  piston 
after  it  has  passed  the  branch 
%vhich  communicates  vvrith 
the  air-pump. 

Fig.  6  is  the  equilibrium 
or  ew/rawceseparating  valve. 
The  arrow  denotes  the  di- 
rection in  which  the  trains 
advance.  The  pipe  is  ex- 
hausted on  the  side  of  the 
valve  letered  C,  and  is  only 
prolonged  on  the  other  side 
to  allow  the  piston  to  enter 
the  pipe  before  the  valve  is 
opened.  Attached  to  one 
side  of  the  main  is  a  semi- 
circular box  B  A,  divided 
into  two  compartments  by 
a  partition,  of  which  jgi  a  a 
is  a  sectional  view,  andithro' 
which  is  a  circular  opening :  in  the  top  of  the  box  are 
two  small  square  holes,  one  on  each  side  of  the  parti- 
tion, furnished  with  a  box  slide,  by  which  either  or  both 
of  them  may  be  covered  at  pleasure ;  within  the  box 
B  A  are  two  valves,  b  and  c,  (of  which  b  is  the  great- 
er,) connected  by  an  arm  d  dio  each  other,  and  to  a  ver- 
tical axis  e,  on  which  they  can  swing  horizontally  for 
about  100  degrees.  When  the  pipe  is  to  be  exhausted, 
the  valves  are  placed  by  hand  or  otherwise,  in  the  posi- 
tion represented  in  the  figure ;  b  filling  the  opening  in 


the 


closing 


the 


partition, 
main.  The  box  slide  also* 
covers  the  hole  on  the  side  B 
of  the  partition,  leaving  the 
other  hole  open  as  the  exhaus- 
tion proceeds  ;  C  and  B  are 
in  vacuum  ;  A  and  D  open  to 
the  air.  There  is  then  the 
same  pressure  on  each  square 
inch  of  b  and  c  ;  but  b  being 
larger  than  c  both  remain 
close,  for  the  total  pressure  on 
b  preponderating,  will  keep  c 
against  its  seat,  as  will  be  plain 
on  looking  at  the  figure.  But 
the  train  on  approaching, 
moves  the  slide  box  so  as  to  cover  both  holes,  and  a  passage  is  formed  thro' 
which  the  air  in  the  partition  A,  rushes  into  the  main  C,  so  that  A  and  B 
are  both  in  vacuo,  and  the  pressure  being  removed  from  ^  that  On  c  forces 


'"  '  "■^-  ■  -— '-   -■ .  A->-'.-kW.>-'":  '-t....  ^  yr:  w.-  ,,^^'z.  ».  -.^u^M  . 


On  tht  Atmospheric  System. 


\  it  back  and  allows  the  piston  to  pass. — 

,:  The  valve,  or  rather,  piston  Z»,  is  a  cup 

-t  leather,  riveted  between  iron  plates  and 

:.  shuts  into  the  opening  in  the  partition:  c 

f-  is  a  flat  leather  valve,  and  shuts  against  a 


facing  in  the  main. 


The  main  pipe  is  put  together  with 
deep  socket  joints,  in  each  of  which  an 
annular  space  is  left  about  the  middle  of 
the  packing,  and  filled  with  a  semi-fluid ; 
thus  any  possible  leakage  of  air  into  the 
pipe  is  prevented. 

When  it  is  necessary  to  stop  or  retard 
the  train,  in  addition  to  the  use  of  a  com- 
mon break,  a  valve  in  the  travelling  piston 
is  opened  by  the  conductor  by  which 'means 
the  external  air  is  admitted  into  the  ex- 
hausted portion  of  the  pipe,  and  the  pro- 
pelling power  destroyed. 

In  localities  where  a  sufficient  quantity 
and  fall  of  water  can  be  obtained,  the  at- 
mospheric system  can  be  worked  without 
the  assistance  of  any  machinery  whatev- 
er :  by  constructing  a  tank  or  tanks  (of 
a  total  capacity  double  that  of  the  section 
of  pipe  they  have  to  exhaust,)  filling  them 
with  water,  and  allowing  it  to  run  out 
through  a  descending  perpendicular  pipe 
about  32  feet  long  (which  it  will  do  by  its 
gravity  alone,)  the  whole  of  the  air  con- 
tained in  the  pipe  will  expand  itself  into 
the  tanks,  and  by  the  time  they  are  half 
emptied  of  water  half  a  vacuum  will  be 
formed  in  the  pipes,  as  the  air  will  be  ex- 
panded into  twice  its  bulk,  and  the  other 
half  will  run  out  while  the  travelling  pis- 
ton and  train  are  advancing,  thus  increas- 
ing the  space  in  the  tanks  as  that  in  the 
pipes  is  diminishing  by  the  approach  of 
the  piston,  and  by  this  means  maintaining 
the  same  degree  of  vacuum  during  the 
whole  time  the  train  is  passing,  whatever 
be  its  speed. 

Workings  of   the  Atmospheric  railway 

on    the    Birmingham,    Bristol     and 

Thames  Junction  railway. 

The  system  is  in  operation  on  part  of 

the  above  line  between  the  Great  Western 

railway  and  the  Uxbridge  road,  on  an  in- 

cline,  part  1  in  120  and  part  1  in  115. 


230 


On  the  Aimosphric  System. 


The  vacuum  pipe  is  half  a  mile  long, 
and  9  inches  internal  diameter. 

The  exhausting  pump  is  37^  inches 
diameter  and  22^  inches  stroke,  worked 
by  a  steam  engine  of  16  horses'  power. 

For  the  purpose  of  experiment  a  series 
of  posts  were  fixed  along  the  half  mile 
every  two  chains,  and  a  barometric  gauge 
was  attached  at  each  end  of  the  pipe,  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  degree  to 
which  the  pipe  was  exhausted ;  a  vacuum 
equal  to  a  column  of  mercury  18  inches 
high  was  obtained  in  about  one  minute, 
and  both  gauges  indicated  the  same  ex- 
tent of  vacuum  at  the  same  instant. 

The  following  table  shows  a  fair  ave- 
rage of  the  results  obtained  during  six 
months. 

By  following  out  these  results,  it  will 
be  foimd  that  a  main  pipe  of  18  inches 
diameter  will  be  sufficiently  large  for  a 
traffic  of  5000  tons  per  day,  viz.,  2500 
tons  in  each  direction,  supposing  the  gra- 
dients of  the  road  to  average  1  in  100. 

Note. — A  main  pipe,  18  inches  diam- 
eter, will  contain  a  piston  of  254  inches 
the  usual  pressure  on  this  piston, 


area; 


produced  by  exhausting  the  pipe,  shoula 
be  8  lbs.  per  square  inch  (as  this  is  the 
most  economical  degree  of  vacuum  to 
work  at,  and  a  large  margin  is  left  for  ob- 
taining higher  vacuums  to  draw  trains 
heavier  than  usual  on  emergencies) — a 
tractive  force  of  2032  pounds  is  thus  ob- 
tained, which  will  draw  a  train  weighing 
45  tons,  at  30  miles  per  hour,  up  an  in- 
cline rising  1  in  100.  Two  and  a  half 
miles  of  jhis  pipe  will  contain  23,324  cu- 
bic feet  of  air,  -^ths  of  which,  or  12,439 
cubic  feet,  must  he  pumped  out  to  effect  a 
vacuum  equal  to  8  lbs.  per  square  inch : 
the  air-pump  for  this  purpose  should  be 
5 feet  7 inches  diameter,  or  247  feet  area, 
and  its  piston  should  move  through  220 
feet  per  minute,  thus  discharging  at  the 
rate  of  24  7  x  220  =  5434  cubic  feet  per 
minute  at  first,  and  at  the  rate  of  2536  cu- 
bic feet  per  minute  when  the  vacuum  has 
advanced  to  16  inches  mercury,  or  8  lbs. 
per  square  inch,  the  mean  quantity  dis- 
charged being  thus  3985  feet  per  minute ; 


therefore  -SV^  =  31 


minutes,  the  time 


required  to  exhaust  the  pipe ;  and  as  the 
axea  of  the  pump  piston  is  14  times  as 


On  the  AtmoipUric  ^gtm. 


iSi 


great  as  that  in  the  pipe,  so  the  velocity  of  the  latter  will  be  14  times  as 
great  as  that  of  the  former,  or  220  feet  per  minute  X  14  =  3060  feet  per 
minute,  or  35  miles  per  hour :  but  in  consequence  of  the  imperfect  action 
of  an  air-pump,  slight  leakages,  etc.,  this  velocity  will  be  reduced  to  30 
miles  per  hour,  and  the  time  requisite  to  make  the  vacuum  increased  to  4 
minutes:  the  train  will  thus  move  over  the  2^  miles  section  in  5  minutes, 
and  it  can  be  prepared  for  the  next  train  in  4  minutes  more,  together  9  mi- 
nutes ;  15  minutes  is  therefore  ample  time  to  allow  between  each  train,  and 
supposing  the  working  day  to  consist  of  14  hours,  56  trains  can  be  started 
in  each  direction,  or  2520  tons,  making  a  total  of  5000  tons  per  day.  The 
fixed  engine  to  perform  this  duty  will  be  110  horses'  power,  equivalent  to 
22  horses'  power  per  mile  in  each  direction. 


■'■■<.-   ■  '■.■ 

Maxim'm 

Vacu'm  in 

■'.'  ■    '^ 

Number  of  passengers. 

Totol  load. 

speed  in 
ms.  pr.  hr. 

inches  of 
mercury. 

tons.       cwt. 

June  11,  1840 

23 

8          0 

22i 

18 

23      ■  ■^'-->' 

8          0 

22i 

16 

,  ■ . 

15      K&'.. 

7        10 

20 

19 

-  ,'     A  •■"■  *   ". 

21    -:>'f^-i:^ 

7        18 

22i 

19 

44      ^^>;>-^-v: 

9        10 

22i 

20 

•  '"*  '!■'/■'■■ 

68      "M^:-     ' 

10          7 

22i 

19 

_.     ..       '    .' -^    y:^.- 

57      U-i*-' 

10          6    , 

18.- 

19 

26      :<•:■:■■: 

6          9 

30 

18i 

■;;/,-;  •  y;:^  - 

75       ^4'-^\^i-^^ 

11        10 

22i 

17 

V  -.,-;-::.  : 

24       :■■ -5.- ^^^:- 

8          2 

22i 

15 

13         i::-^:i-h:^-i 

4        12 

30 

16 

9 

7          2 

22i 

m 

June  29,  1840 

28 

8         2 

30 

28                    «^ 

,     5        13 

30 

- 

28    -% 

5        13 

36 

July  24,  1840 

21 

7        18 

30 

22 

15 

4        15 

30 

22 

<v  f  -f'.^-' y-v'-V*  i ."  '5  ■ 

i^-^P^^H>.'-ivni-^-^-?:. 

4          6 

30 

23 

15          >..>H>^^ 

5          0 

30 

2U 

Aug.  8,  1840 

16 

5          1 

30 

21 

18  and  ballast 

13        10 

18 

20i 

18 

6          4 

30 

20^ 

Aug.  10, 1840 

16 

5          0 

30 

20 

17  and  ballast 

13        10 

20 

22 

10 

4        13 

30 

22 

Aug.  11, 1840 

28         ;    - 

6        17 

30 

20i 

25        -.^vvV:v 

5        13 

30 

20 

14 

5          0 

30 

20 

Sent.  24, 1840 

23 

5        10 

36 

Nov,  6,  1840 

17 

5          3 

36 

21 

16 

5         0 

45 

23i 

Dec.  9,  1840 

11 

4        14 

45 

23 

Dec.  15,  1840 

15 

6          0 

36 

22i- 

Jan.    6,   1841 

10 

4        13 

36 

22| 

Feb.  19i  1841 

8 

4        If 

45 

^i 

By  reference  to  the  dates  of  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  workings  of 
the  system  are  equally  perfect  dnring  all  seasons ;  through  the  height  of 


;:■>.:    ^-i..^.^  ^.A^L.ari.MXxt.t.t^.J., 


Jjti^^tm 


■f-iiifiiinh»trnti' 


832  On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

summer,  and  in  the  severest  winter  that  we  have  known  for  many  years : 
in  no  single  instance  during  the  whole  time  has  any  derangement  of  the 
machinery  taken  place,  to  prevent,  or  even  to  delay  for  one  minute,  the  start- 
ing of  the  trains.  The  main  pipe  and  valve  have  considerably  improved  by 
working  ;  the  composition  for  sealing  the  valve  has  become  so  much  more 
firmly  bedded  in  its  place,  that  while  in  June  last  we  were  only  able. to  ob- 
tain a  vacuum  equal  to  a  column  of  mercury  19  to  20  inches  high,  we  now 
obtain  from  22  to  24  inches,  and  occasionally  25.  The  speed,  originally 
from  20  to  30  miles  per  hour,  now  ranges  from  30  to  45.  The  whole  at- 
tendance the  valve  and  main  received  during  this  period  was  that  of  a  single 
laborer  for  about  one  hour  every  week :  the  composition  now'  in  the  valve- 
groove  has  never  been  changed  ;  and  56  lbs.  weight  only  has  been  added  to 
supply  the  waste  :  the  cost  of  this  composition,  which  consists  of  wax  and 
tallow,  is  \s.  per  lb. 

We  have  now  procured  data  from  which  the  economy  and  advantage  of 
tkis  system  can  be  arrived  at  with  certainty. 

It  is  true  that  we  have  heard  many  objections  made ;  and  as  these  objec- 
tions, if  tenable,  would  involve  the  principle  of  the  invention,  we  cannot  do 
better  than  notice  and  comment  on  them  here.  We  have  been  told,  IsL 
That  our  experiments  do  not  prove  the  applicability  of  the  system  to  an  ex- 
tended line  of  road. 

2d.  That  the  number  of  stationary  steam  engines  and  establishments  re- 
quired on  this  system  would  be  an  objection,  in  point  of  expense,  and  liabil- 
ity to  accident. 

3d.  That  an  accident  occurring  at  one  of  these  stations,  or  anywhere  along 
the  pipes,  would  interrupt  the  traffic  on  the  whole  line  ;  and  so  strenuously 
has  this  objection  been  urged,  that  we  have  heard  it  asserted  that  a  hole  the 
size  of  a  pin's  head,  in  the  sealing  composition,  would  prevent  the  action  of 
the  invention,  and  thus  the  traffic  might  be  stopped  for  a  whole  day  while 
making  fruitless  search  to  discover  it. 

In  answer  to  the  first  objection  we  would  say,  in  every  case  Avhere  a  train 
has  been  started  the  pipe  has  been  first  exhausted  to  18  inches  of  mercury 
or  upwards  :  the  time  of  performing  this  operation  is  about  one  minute,  and 
from  the  barometric  gauges  fixed  at  both  ends  of  the  pipe  the  vacuum  is  as- 
certained to  be  formed  to  an  equal  extent  throughout  the  whole  length  with- 
out any  appreciable  difl!erence  of  time.  The  pipe  laid  down  is  9  inches  di- 
ameter, and  half  a  mile  long,  and  a  pressure  equal  to  a  column  of  mercury 
18  inches  high  is  obtained  in  one  minute  by  an  air-pump  37^  inches  diame- 
ter, moving  through  ^65  feet  per  minute.  Now  it  is  obvious  that  if  the 
transverse  section  of  the  pipe  be  increased  to  any  extent,  and  the  area  of  the 
air-pump  proportionately  increased,  the  result  will  remain  unaltered, — i.  e. 
half  a  mile  of  pipe  will  be  exhausted  in  one  minute ;  and  supposing  the  air- 
pump  has  to  exhaust  3  miles,  it  will  perform  the  operation  in  6  minutes  ;  it 
is  also  obvious  that  if  the  area  of  the  air-pump  be  increased  in  a  greater 
proportion  than  that  of  the  pipe,  the  exhaustion  will  be  performed  more  ra- 
pidly, or  vice  versa.  These  results  are  matters  of  absolute  certainty,  as 
convincingly  clear,  as  that  the  power  of  a  steam  engine  must  be  regulated 
by  the  area  of  the  piston  on  which  the  steam  acts.  No  person  of  scientific 
attainments  will  for  one  moment  doubt,  that  'if  a  steam  engine  were  made 
with  a  cylinder  twice  the  area  of  the  largest  cylinder  ever  set  to  work,  the 
power  obtained  would  be  in  proportion  to  the  increased  area :  and  so  with 
the  air-pumps  before  alluded  to  ;  the  excess  of  work  is  immediately  arrived 
at  that  an  air-pump  six  feet  3  inches  diameter  will  perform  over  another  of 
3  feet  1^  inch  diameter,  the  speed,  of  the  pistons  being  the  same  ia  bo^  in^ 


On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

u 

stances.  So  plain  and  self-evident  is  this  result,  that  we  believe  the  most 
sceptical  will  admit  it  to  be  correct";  and  this  being  granted,  the  applicability  ; 
of  the  system  to  a  line  of  any  length  must  follow  ;  for  Avhatever  the  lengta 
of  railroad  be,  whether  3  or  30,  or  300  miles,  no  different  effects  have  to  be 
produced.  The  working  a  road  30  miles  long  would  be  the  same  thing  as 
working  10  roads  each  3  miles  long.  Every  3  miles  an  engine  and  air- 
pump  is  fixed,  which  exhausts  its  own  portion  of  pipe  before  the  train  ar- 
rives ;  thus,  as  the  train  advances  it  receives  power  from  each  succeeding 
engine  in  turn,  and  without  any  stoppage,  unless  required,  until  it  arrives  at 
its  final  destination,  and  the  air-pumps  continuing  to  work,  after  the  train  has 
passed,  on  the  section  they  act  upon,  re-exhaust  it  in  readiness  for  the  next 

The  second  objection,  as  to  the  complexity  and  outlay  attendant  on  a 
number  of  fixed  engines,  may  perhaps  be  better  answered  by  taking  a  re- 
view of  the  number  and  expense  of  these  engines  and  the  duty  they  are  re- 
quired to  perform.  On  a  line  30  miles  long,  supposing  the  average  distance 
between  the  engines  to  be  three  miles,  there -would  be  10  engines  and  air- 
pumps  with  their  engine  houses ;  and  if  the  railroad  were  appointed  for 
transporting  5000  tons  per  day  over  the  whole  distance,  (considerably  more 
than  double  the  amount  carried  daily  on  any  railroad  in  England,)  the  ex- 
pense of  one  of  these  stationary  engine  establishments  would  cost  complete 
£4200,  which,  multiplied  by  10,  will  give  £42,000 — total  cost  on  the  whole 
line.  But  it  is  a  fact  which  probably  must  have  escaped  the  notice  of  those 
urging  this  expense  as  a  drawback  to  the  atmospheric  system,  if  they  were 
ever  acquainted  with  it,  that  to  perform  a  traffic  of  only  1700  tons  per  day 
upwards  of  one  locomotive  engine  per  mile  is  necessary ;  and  as  each  loco- 
motive costs  £1500,  the  total  capital  required  for  locomotive  power  on  a  rail- 
road 30  miles  in  length  would  be  £45,000;  in  first  cost,  therefore,  there 
would  be  a  saving  of  £3000  in  favor  of  the  stationary  power  ;*  but  this  is  far 
from  being  the  most  important  saving.  Every  mill  owner  in  Lancashire 
and  Yorkshire,  and  any  persoh  connected  with  mining  operations,  will  rea- 
dily admit  that  his  outlay  being  once  incurred  for  a  steam  engine  to  drivie 
his  machinery  or  drain  his  mine,  and  his  engine  being  once  fixed  on  terra 
firma,  its  deterioration,  uncertainty  of  action,  or  annual  expense  of  mainten- 
ance, is  not  a  sourcejof  annoyance  or  anxiety  to  him.  Five  per  cent.  p«r 
annum  on  the  cost  will  more  than  cover  all  repairs  necessary  to  be  perform- 
ed to  it,  and  all  oil,  hemp  and  tallow  used  in  working  it.  It  is  the  excep-. 
tion,  and  not  the  rule,  if  a  stationary  engine  once  fixed  meet  with  a  derange-r 
ment  to  render  a  stoppage  necessary. 

The  annual  expenses  will  be  for  repairs  at  5  per  cent,  on  £42,000     £2.100 
For  coal  for  these  engines  (when  transporting  2000  tons  per  day,) 

6420  tons  per  year,  at  20s.  per  ton  -  .  .  <  -  6420 
Wages  to  engine-men  and  stokers 1800 

i  £10,330 

v  The  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railway  is  30  miles  long,  and  is  the  only 
railway  that  transports  as  much  as  1700  tons  per  day  over  its  whole  dis» 
tance  ;  and  the  annual  expense  of  its  locomotive  department,  including  cokCj* 
is  about  £50,000  a  year. 

Need  we  make  any  further  comment,  when  the  annual  expense  of  power 
for  the  atmospheric  system  is  £10,320,  and  for  performing  the  same  traffic 
on  the  locomotive  system  upwards  of  £50,000  is  found  necessary?     Great 

•  This  saving  is  in  engines  only,  but  it  should  be  recollected  that  there  are  many  other 
items,  and  by  reference  to  ihe  comparative  expense  of  the  tWo  systems  (page  238,  R.  R.  J.,) 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  total  outlay  on  the  locomotive  system  is  £37,600  per  mile,  and  MH 
the  atmospheric  £15,120.  ^ 


-  ■  --"^-^rlf  ruMrfir^li'i  i-iiri  11    iniin'miri-i  nVi  ifTfiirlr'^- 


S34  On  the  Atmotpkric  Sffsiem.  i 

as  the  pecuniary  advantages  have  been  shown  to  be,  we  must  not  forget  to 
correct  the  third  objection ;  viz.,  the  erroneous  opinion  that  the  system  is 
iiiulty  because  an  accident  occurring  at  one  of  these  stations  would  interrupt 
the  traffic  on  the  whole  line.  Prima  facie,  this  argument  is  correct,  but 
we  have  already  shown  how  small  the  chance  of  accident  is  to  a  stationary 
steam  engine ;  hundreds  are  employed  day  and  night  without  interruption} 
draining  mines ;  if  any  derangement  in  their  action  were  to  take  place,  these 
valuable  properties  would  be  overflowed,  and  it  would  require  no  difficulty 
to  point  out  many  establishments  where  engines  have  been  in  action  for  years 
together.*  But  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure,  a  pair  of  engines  and  a 
pair  of  air-pumps,  each  of  half  the  requisite  power,  may  be  fixed  at  each 
station :  should  anything  cause  one  engine  and  pump  to  stop,  the  traffic 
would  not  be  interrupts! ;  the  only  delay  would  be  the  retardation  of  the 
train  while  passing  over  that  section  of  pipe  where  only  half  the  power  was 
in  action,  and  until  the  cause  of  the  stoppage  were  removed  the  trains  would 
be  some  five  or  six  minutes  more  than  usual  performing  the  journey. 

The  next  objection  we  have  to  meet  is  the  interruption  to  the  traffic  from 
some  derangement  in  the  pipe.  This  comprehends,  1st,  an  accident  to  the 
pipe  itself;  and  2d,  from  the  composition  not  being  effectually  sealed. 

An  accident  to  the  pipe  can  only  occur  from  breakage,  and  unless  design- 
edly perpetrated,  could  never  happen  at  all.  But  for  the  sake  of  argument 
we  will  suppose  a  pipe  has  been  broken-— no  matter  how  •  the  time  of  re- 
moving it  and  replacing  it  with  another  would  be  consideraoly  less  than  the 
time  now  necessary  to  clear  off*  the  fragments  of  a  broken  engine  and  train 
after  a  collision ;  and  supposing  a  length  of  valve  to  require  replacing,  it 
could  be  done  in  less  time  than  replacing  a  rail  when  torn  up  by  an  engine 
running  off"  the  line. 

If,  instead  of  one,  there  were  one  hundred  places  along  the  pipe  where 
the  heater  had  imperfectly  performed  its  functions,  the  admission  of  atmos- 
pheric air  through  the  composition  in  these  places  would  only  reduce  the 
column  of  mercury  a  few  inches :  no  stoppage  or  interruption  of  the  traffic 
could  possibly  occur  from  this  cause,  and  by  comparing  the  quantity  of  air 
pumped  out  each  stroke  of  the  pump,  with  the  quantity  that  will  leak  in  at 
each  imperfectly  sealed  spot,  any  such  erroneous  idea  will  be  removed. 
Perhaps  on  this  head,  an  appeal  to  experience  will  be  more  satisfactory  than 
any  argument,  however  strong :  in  the  whole  of  our  virorkings,  the  column 
of  mercury  has  never  varied  in  height  more  than  2  inches  on  the  same  day ; 
and  as  it  requires  eight  times  the  number  of  minutes  to  destroy  the  vacuum 
in  the  pipe,  when  the  engine  is  at  rest,  that  it  takes  to  raise  it  when  in  action, 
it  follows  that  one-eighth  only  of  the  power  (two  horses)  is  all  that  is  em- 
ployed to  overcome  leakage.  Perhaps  the  necessity  of  stopping  the  traffic 
of  a  line  in  the  event  of  an  accident  until  the  damage  is  replaced  or  the  ob-  ~ 
stacle  cleared  away,  should  be  regarded  upon  all  railways  as  a  peculiar  ad- 
vantage: by  this  necessity  all  chance  of  "  running  into"  is  avoided,  and 
where  stationary  power  is  employed  the  difficulties  of  commuication  which 
a  locomotive  line  has  to  contend  with  are  overcome.  By  means  of  an  elec- 
tric telegraph,  every  engine  station  along  100  miles  of  road  may  be  com- 
municated with  in  half  a  minute,  and  thus  the  traffic  may  be  suspended  and 
resumed  at  pleasure.  i 

On  examining  the  facts  we  have  collected,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  atmos- 
pheric  system  is  grounded  on  sound  principles,  and  free  from  many  objec-  . " 

*  At  Rock's  Mine,  Cornwall,  an  engine  has  worked  day  and  night  without  internum- '"'_ 
don  for  3  1-2  years.    At  the  East  London  water  works,  a  nair  of  engines,  called  "  the 
twini^"  h&ve  woj^ed  11  years,  with  scaicdy  one  hour's  roit  day  or  night. 


;•  I'T^'J 


-  On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

tions  that  the  present  railways  have  to  contend  with :  and  a  very  casual  re- 
ference to  these  defects  will  prove  the  necessity  of  substituting  an  improved 
system  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  public,  when  this  means  of  travelling  be- 
comes fully  developed  and  understood. 

*  The  general  benefits  that  railway  travelling  has  conferred,  are  admitted 
by  all ;  their  introduction  has  given  a  new  stimulus  to  industry,  and  present- 
ed increased  facilities  for  the  merchant,  manufacturer  and  agriculturist,  by 
bringing  the  remotest  parts  of  the  kingdom  within  a  days  journey, — ^thus 
enabling  goods  and  agricultural  produce  to  becogveyed  to  distant  towns,  for 
which  the  previous  mode  of  transport  was  unequal ;  indeed,  the  numerous 
advantages  of  railways  have  been  fully  appreciated  by  the  public,  who  have 
not  hesitated  to  embark  immense  sums  of  money  to  construct  them  between 
most  of  the  principal  towns. 

In  proportion  as  persons  have  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  commercial 
benefits  that  arise  from  this  improved  system  of  travelling,  and  have  felt  the 
advantages  of  it  practically,  their  distaste  for  the  old  mode  of  conveyance 
has  increased ;  and  if  railway  communication  were  attainable  at  a  cost  at 
all  approximating  to  that  previously  employed,  it  would  very  shortly  become 
universal  throughout  the  empire.  But  the  general  adoption  of  the  railway 
system  followed  its  introduction  so  speedily,  that  many  roads  were  half  fin- 
ished before  their  expenses  could  be  ascertained  ;  each  town  capable  of  rais- 
ing sufficient  capital  to  connect  itself  with  the  metropolis  did  so  immediate- 
ly,— more  eager  to  be  on  a  par  with  its  neighbor,  than  considerate  of  the 
expense  it  was  about  to  incur.  Fortunately  these  increased  facilities  in 
many  cases  created  a  traffic  which  compensated  for  the  outlay  that  was 
found  necessary  to  form  and  work  these  roads  ;  and  as  there  is  now  so  large 
a  portion  of  capital  sunk  in  this  description  of  property,  and  a  moral  cer- 
tainty that  a  greater  number  of  railways  will  be  made  in  the'next  ten  years 
than  have  been  made  and  partially  completed  in  the  last,*  any  invention  ten- 
ding to  facilitate  their  formation,  or  to  reduce  their  cost,  is  a  matter  of  the 
greatest  national  and  commercial  importance :  and  if  by  such  an  invention 
the  speed  of  travelling  can  be  further  increased,  the  danger  of  accidents  di- 
minished, and  the  expense  of  transporting  goods  reduced  to  as  low  a  rate  as 
by  canals,  the  traffic,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  the  remuneration  to  the 
proprietors,  will  be  proportionably  augmented. 

Our  object  is  to  point  out,  that  these  results  will  follow  the  adoption  of 
the  atmospheric  system  of  working,  and  we  think  it  will  be  admitted  that 
we  have  fully  borne  out  and  justified  this  idea,  when  we  have  taken  a  re- 
view of  the  nature  of  the  power  and  the  experience  already  obtained  on  the 
one  hand,  and  of  the  drawbacks  under  which  the  present  systnm  labors  on 
the  other.  We  will  first  notice  the  principal  defects  in  railways  worked  by 
locomotive  power.  These  are  the  expenses  consequent  upon  their  forma- 
tion and  working,  in  addition  to  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  a  speed  be- 
yond 25  miles  an  hour,  without  incurring  a  more  than  proportionate  addi* 
tlonal  expense.  For  an  engine  that  would  draw  61  29  tons  on  a  level  at 
the  rate  of  25  miles  an  hour,  would  if  required  to  travel  30  miles  an  hour, 
only  be  able  to  draw  29  66  tons,  or,  for  the  additional  5  miles  in  speed,  a 
loss  of  more  than  one-half  in  power.  These  evils  arise  from  the  following 
causes. 

First,  from  the  necessity  of  making  the  roads  comparatively  level,  owing 
to  the  nature  of  the  power  employed.  The  whole  power  of  the  locomotire 
engine  is  not  available  to  impel  the  train  because  it  has  to  drag  itself  and 

*  In  England  alone,  since  1R3],  upwards  of  2000  miles  of  railway  have  been  completed, 
or  are  in  progress  of  comjdction 


V 


236  On  the  Atmospheric  System,  > 

tender.     Thus  a  great  portion  of  its  power  is  consumed  even  on  a  level ;" 
but  that  loss  of  power  is  greatly  augmented  when  contending  with  the 
slightest  ascent. 

The  extent  of  this  defect  will  be  more  clearly  apparent  by  an  example : 
'.'  Supposing  a  locomotive  engine  to  possess  a  gross  tractive  force  of  1700 
lbs.,  and  its  weight  including  tender,  to  be  20  tons,'(this  is  the  actual  weiglit 
and  tractive  force  of  the  best  locomotive  engines  in  general  use  when  trav- 
elling at  a  mean  rate  of  20  miles  per  hour,)  and  as  14  lbs.  per  ton  is  requir- 
ed to  attain  this  velocity  o(|  a  level  road,  280  lbs.  will  be  consumed  to  impel 
the  engine  and  tender,  leaving  1420  lbs.  available  for  the  train.  This,  at  14 
lbs.  per  ton,  will  draw  101  tons  on  a  level  road.  We  will  now  place  the 
same  train  on  an  inclined  plane  rising  1  in  50.  The  power  required  to 
draw  a  ton  at  the  same  speed  is  then  increased  from  14  lbs.  to  59  lbs.,  or 
nearly  4|  times  as  much  as  on  a  level :  therefore  the  engine  and  tender 
weighing  20  tons  will  consume  1180  lbs.  instead  of  280  lbs.,  and  will  leave,.'^ 
but  520  lbs.  available  for  the  train,  instead  of  1420  lbs. ;  but  as  the  traiir 
now  needs  5959  lbs.  to  enable  it  to  ascend,  11^  locomotives,  each  possessing 
a  tractive  force  of  1700  lbs.,  together  19,550  lbs.,  will  be  required  to  pro- 
duce that  available  force ;  we  thus  have  an  absolute  waste  of  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  power  employed  on  an  ascent  of  1  in  50,  while  on  a  level  it 
is  less  than  one-sixth.  By  the  same  calculation  it  will  be  seen,  that  if  the 
activity  be  slightly  increased,  the  locomotive  engine  will  not  have  sufficient 
power  to  draw  itself  and  tender,  even  without  the  train. 

Secondly,  by  the  necessity  of  having  great  weight  and  strength  of  rails 
and  foundation  consequent  on  the  employment  of  locomotive  engines. 
These  engines  (exclusive  of  tender)  weigh  generally  from  14  to  15  tons 
each ;  and,  in  addition  to  the  rigidity  of  road  required  to  sustain  this  weight 
passing  over  it  on  one  carriage,  the  motion  transferred  to  the  wheels  by  the 
engines  alternately  on  each  side,  causes  a  continual  displacement  or  forcing 
out  of  the  rails. 

The  third,  and  perhaps  the  greatest  evil,  is  the  heavy  expense  attendant 
on  working  a  railway  by  the  ordinary  method ;  and  this  item  is  rendered 
more  excessive  by  the  necessity  of  having  a  large  number  of  extra  engines 
in  store  to  keep  an  adequate  supply  in  working  order.  By  reference  to  the 
half-yearly  accounts  of  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railway,  the  annual 
expense  for  locomotive  power  and  coke  is  found  to  be  from  £57,000  to 
£60,000  a  year,  nearly  £2000  a  mile  per  annum,  on  a  traffic  of  about  1700 
tons  a  day.  This  amount  is  exclusive  of  first  cost  and  interest  on  the  origi- 
nal stock.  * 

The  fourth  evil  is  the  large  consumption  of  fuel  in  proportion  to  the 
power  obtained,  which  arises,  in  part,  from  the  great  velocity  in  the  move- 
ment of  the  pistons,  preventing  the  steam  from  acting  on  them  with  full 
force ;  which  causes  a  back  pressure  on  the  pistons,  reducing  their  force  in 
proportion  to  the  velocity  at  which  they  move :  the  power  of  the  engine  is 
thus  constantly  diminished  as  the  velocity  of  the  train  is  increased.  To  so 
great  an  extent  is  the  combined  action  of  these  defects  felt,  that  when  travel- 
ling at  20  miles  per  hour,  the  effective  power  of  the  engine  is  reduced  to 
half  that  which  would  be  obtained  from  the  same  quantity  of  steam  gene- 
rated, and  fuel  consumed,  with  a  stationary  engine.  When  travelling  at  30 
miles  per  hour  it  is  reduced  to  less  than  one-fourth ;  and  at  a  speed  but  little 
exceeding  45  miles,  the  power  is  so  far  destroyed  that  the  engine  will  scarcely 
draw  more  than  itself  and  tender.  An  additional  waste  of  fuel,  to  an  im- 
mense extent,  is  also  occasioned  by  the  loss  of  power  (as  already  shown)  on 
inclined  planes.     And,  lastly,  the  chances  of  accident  from  collision,  run- 


On  the  Atmospheric  System, 


m 


ning  off  the  rail,  bursting  of  boilers ;  effects,  which  have  been  too  severely 
felt  during  the  past  six  months. 

From  the  foregoing  remarks  it  will  appear  that  the  evils  of  the  present 
system  are  entirely  attributable  to  the  use  of  locomotive  power,  and  the  re- 
medy must  be  sought  for  in  the  employment  of  stationary  power  in  its  stead : 
the  means  by  which  this  can  be  effected  without  diminishing  the  accommo- 
dation and  advantages  at  present  given  to  the  public,  are  next  to  be  consid- 
ered ;  and  it  is  confidently  expected  that  in  the  following  summary  will  be 
found,  not  only  remedies  for  all  existing  evils,  but  also  many  important  ad- 
vantages, both  in  speed  and  safety,  which  cannot  p(>ssibly  be  obtained  by  the 
above  named  system. 

1st.  The  loss  of  power  occasioned  by  the  locomotive  engines  having  to 
draw  their  own  weight  is  entirely  avoided,  and  steep  hills  may  be  ascended 
with  no  more  additional  power  than  that  actually  due  to  the  acclivity,  as 
there  is  no  weight  except  the  train. 

There  is  no  other  known  power  which  can  be  applied  to  locomotion  with- 
out carrying  considerable  weight  and  friction  with  it.  The  ill  effects  of  lo- 
comotive engines  have  been  already  pointed  out,  and  the  same  disadvantages 
exist  in  the  application  of  ropes,  which  must  be  drawn  along  with  the  train, 
and  become  an  increased  incumbrance  on  inclined  planes.  The  defects  of 
ropes  in  other  respects  are  too  generally  known  to  need  comment 

2d.  The  weight  of  the  rails  and  chairs  on  the  new  system  may  be  less 
by  one-third  than  where  locomotive  engines  are  employed,  as  the  carriages 
of  the  train  will  be  too  light  to  injure  them.  The  annual  charge  of  main- 
tenance of  way  will,  from  the  same  cause,  be  reduced  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent. 

4  3d.  The  wear  and  tear  of  locomotive,  compared  with  stationary  engines, 
is  as  18  to  1. 

4th.  By  the  new  system  the  full  power  of  the  engines  is  always  obtained : 
and  on  an  incline  the  additional  quantity  of  fuel  consumed  in  ascending  will 
be  saved  in  descending,  as  the  trains  run  down  by  their  own  gravity.  The 
expense  of  fuel  will  be  further  decreased,  as  the  expense  of  using  coal  is 
only  half  that  of  coke. 

On  the  new  system  the  velocity  depends  entirely  upon  the  velocity  with, 
which  the  air  is  withdrawn  from  the  pipe ;  therefore,  by  simply  increasing 
the  air  pump,  any  speed  may  be  attained  ;  and  with  a  fixed  quantity  of  trafr 
fie  per  diem,  no  considerable  increase  in  the  fuel  consumed  or  any  other  eX* 
pense  is  incurred  for  improved  speed,  further  than  the  small  additional  power 
required  to  overcome  the  increased  atmospheric  resistance.  An  actual  sa- 
ving in  the  first  cost  of  a  railway  constructed  for  high  velocities  may  be  ef- 
fected, because,  by  performing  the  journey  in  less  time,  a  greater  number 
of  trains  may  be  despatched  each  day,  and  their  weight  diminished ;  there- 
fore the  piston,  having  less  to  draw,  may  be  smaller  in  diameter.  The  cost 
of  the  pipe  (which  forms  the  largest  item  in  the  first  cost  of  this  railway) 
will  thus  be  reduced  in  nearly  the  same  projwrtion  as  the  speed  is  increasai. 

Besides  these  advantages,  this  system  possesses  others  of  still  more  im- 
portance to  the  public.  No  collision  between  trains  can  take  place,  for  as 
the  power  cannot  be  applied  to  more  than  one  piston  at  a  time  in  the  same 
section  of  pipe,  the  trains  must  ever  be  the  length  of  a  section  apart  from 
each  other ;  and  if  from  any  cause  a  train  should  be  stopped  in  the  middle' 
of  a  section,  the  train  which  follows  it  will  be  obliged  to  stop  also  at  the 
entrance  of  the  pipe,  as  there  will  be  no  power  to  propel  it  until  the  first 
train  is  out  It  is  also  impossible  for  two  trains  to  run  in  opposite  directions 
on  the  same  line,  as  the  power  is  only  applied  at  one  end  of  each  section. 


238  J  On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

A  train  cannot  get  off  the  rail,  as  the  leading  carriage  is  firmly  attached 
to  the  piston,  which  travels  in  the  pipe  between  the  rails,  and  the  luggage 
and  carriages  cannot  be  burnt,  as  no  engines  travel  with  the  trains. 

We  now  come  to  the  comparative  cost  of  the  two  systems.  -s 

1st.  The  necessity  of  having  the  railway  comparatively  level  causes  the 
present  enormous  outlay  for  earth  work,  viaducts  and  tunnelling,  and  in- 
creases the  cost  of  land,  not  only  by  lengthening  the  line  to  save  cutting 
and  embankment,  but  by  the  quantity  wasted  on  each  side  of  the  road  \Vher- 
ever  such  work  is  required.  7'hus,  if  an  embankment  or  cutting  has  to  be 
made  of  30  feet,  at  least  60  feet  of  land  must  be  covered  on  each  side  of  the 
railway  in  order  to  obtain  sufficient  slope,  making  a  width  of  120  feet,  be- 
sides the  road,  except  where  they  occur  in  very  favorable  ground.  The 
comparative  expense  of  this  item  between  the  two  systems  can  be  ascer- 
tained by  referring  to  the  average  cost  of  forming  a  turnpike  road  and  that 
of  the  principal  railways  now  in  operation. 

Since  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  detours  to  avoid  steep  gradients,  the  di- 
rection of  the  road  in  a  straight  line  may  be  more  nearly  preserved. 

LOCOMOTIVE  SYSTEM.  Pcf  mile. 
Taking  five  of  the  principal  railroads  an  the  basis  of  our  cadculation.  their 

average  expense  of  formation  has  exceeded*      -                     -  -           j£36,000 

And  the  original  stock  of  locomotives,          -                   «       ?.«..•.-*  1.600 

37,600 

ATMOSPHERIC  SYSTEM.  Pcr  mile. 

The  average  expense  of  forming  a  turnpike  road  throughout  Elngland  ,    , 

has  been  £3000  per  mile,  but  for  our  road  say  -  4,000      i-i-i*! 

Allow  extra  for  road  bridges,    -  '«-,•.  ■     ■'.    i*^  -  2,000 

Rails,  chairs,  sleepers  and  laying  down,  -  '  -  2,500 

Main  pipe  and  apparatus  complete  (on  a  scale  for  transporting  360  tons 

per  hour,  or  5000  tons  per  day  of  fourteen  hours,  on  a  road  with  gra-  •  T 

dients  of  1  in  100,)  -      '  -  -  -  5,200  ^i* 

Fixed  engines,  air  pumps  and  engine  houses,        -  -,  1,400  ,^- 

Travelling  pistons,  -  -  ,   :,»:,;;,;.»...;,.  20  %. 

15,120      j-A,'.^ 
Saving  per  mile  in  forming  and  furnuhing  on  the  atmospheric  system,       22,480 

~37;600  '1 

Annual  expenses  of  working  pcr  mile,  when  conveying  two  thousand  tons  per  day. 

(This  is  beyond  the  average  quantity  conveyed  on  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  radroad.) 

LOccMOTtvE  SYSTEM.  Per  milc. 

5  per  cent,  interest  on  capital  investetl,  j6  37,600,  -  «  t 

Maintenance  of  way,  ...        ,  j,-j  ;>"*»>    ^.iii; 

Locomotive  department,  including  coke,  .i^re-i •  ."*••  ';JJ^''v'  •■/>.■   '  \^, 

•-■■;   :.■-•■  -^  ^:;^J?.'  ■ 
ATMOSPHERIC    SYSTEM,     .     .-.        .    >■ 

5  per  cent,  interest  on  capital  invested,  viz.,  £15,120,      -'     '      '    '   - 
Maintenance  of  way,  and  attendance  on  mains,  -  '  i' ' 

Wear  and  tear  of  fixed  engines,  5  per  cent  of  cost,        - >  "  •;  ■' 
Coal,  0-75  lb.  per  ton  per  nule,  214  tons,  at  209.    -  •;      '~  • 

Wages  to  engine  men  and  stokers,  -     ,  ^.t       j    - 

Wages  to  train  conductors.,  -  ^  -    '^  • 

Renewal  of  travelling  apparatus  and  composition,    **  i(>:T;-«'^  ': 
Sundries,     -  -  -  _  -   * 

Annual  saving  per  milc  on  the  atmospheric  system, 

Total  expenses  per  ton  per  mile  on  the  locomotive  system. 
Total  expenses  per  ton  per  mil<*  on  the  atmospheric  system,     - 

Exclusive  of  carriages  and  management,  which  may  be  taken  as  the  same  on  both 
gystems. 

— — ; — — f* 

*  Our  cmlculatious  are  founded  en  the  reports  of  dtfiferent  companies  whoM  railwayi  ate  complete 
•r  ia  a  forward  state. 


4 

1,880 

v'.'iiv 

450 

'C  *  "^v  .  . 

1,800 

4,130 

Per  mile. 

756 

-  300 

.^r 

70 

■>) 

-  214 

'•# 

60 
-  J6 

m 

^ 

■f¥ 

150 

■ 

1,626 

2,504 

■    .ii^ 

4,130 

- 

l-54d. 

- 

006d. 

.:;•-... 


On  the  Atmespkerie  System.  ;  ^WKm" 

In  the  comparison  which  we  have  instituted  between  the  locomotire  and 
the  atmospheric  systems,  we  have  notdweh  particularly  on  many  important 
defects  of  the  locomotive  system,  but  have  only  noticed  them  with  a  view  to 
point  out  their  existence,  and  to  show  that  the  very  nature  of  the  system  we 
are  advocating,  prevents  the  possibility  of  their  being  found  in  it.  We  do 
not  think,  however,  that  we  should  do  justice  to  ourselves  if  we  were  not  to 
notice  more  fully  some  of  the  worst  of  these  evils,  with  the  view  of  ascer-^- 
taining  to  what  they  are  attributable,  and  what  hope  exists  of  remedying 
them.  We  have  no  wish,  nor  unfortunately  have  we  any  occasion,  to  ex- 
aggerate the  dangers  of  steam  travelling.  Not  a  newspaper  but  teems  withi 
arguments  the  most  cogent,  the  most  appalling,  in  favor  of  a  change  of  sys-  • 
tem.  We  may  be  told  that  these  arguments  have  been  listened  to ;  that  the 
attention  of  the  legislature  has  been  called  to  the  subject,  and  that  conse- 
quently steps  will  be  taken  so  as  to  entirely  prevent  the  recurrence  of  the 
deplorable  sacrifices  of  human  life.  We  answer,  that  it  is  impossible.  The 
fault  is  in  the  system  ;  and  no  legislative  enactments,  however  stringent,  can 
remedy  it.  We  have  no  need  of  assertion  to  prove  this  position.  The  re-; 
port  of  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railway  directors,  and  adopted  by  the 
general  meeting  of  railway  proprietors,  at  Birmingham,  on  the  best  means 
of  preventing  accidents  on  the  lines,  has  just  been  published,  and  we  desire 
no  other  arguments  to  support  our  views  than  the  opinions  put  forth  by  these 
directors,  who  must  be  admitted,  from  their  great  experience,  to  be  compe- 
tent judges  of  the  question,  and  whose  interest  is  too  deeply  concerned  to  al- 
low them  to  exaggerate  the  evils  they  comment  upon,  the  following  is  the 
substance  of  their  report. 

"  In  considering  the  subject  of  the  various  accidents  which  have  recently 
taken  place  on  different  railways,  and  the  different  circumstances  connected 
with  each  accident,  it  appears  that  they  are  attributable  to  one  or  more  of 
the  following  causes : 

i  "  1st.  The  want  or  insufficiency  of  signal  lights,  giving  warning  of  dan-'* 
ger. 

"  2d.  Neglect  on  the  part  of  enginemen  of  such  signals  when  given,  com- 

{>rehending  a  culpable  want  of  care  and  vigilance  in  not  keeping  a  good 
ood-out;  and, 

"  3d.  The  difficulty  of  stopping  a  train  when  danger  is  perceived  near' 
at  hand."  « 

With  respect  to  the  first  cause  the  committee  are  of  opinion,  "  that  the 
printed  rules  and  regulations  of  this  company,  which  have  been  brought 
under  the  consideration  of  many  other  companies,  and,  as  your  committee 
believe,  constitute  the  basis  and  tenor  of  their  respective  regulations,  are,  on 
the  whole,  well  calculated  to  answer  the  purposes  intended.  One  modifica- 
tion seems  desirable,  viz  :  that  the  red  light  or  the  red  flag  should,  in  all 
cases,  and  under  all  circumstances,  be  viewed  as  a  warning  against  danger."* 

As  to  the  second  point ;  "  the  committee  can  only  recommend  great  care 
in  the  selection  of  active  steady  men  in  the  first  instance.  Good  wages,  and 
a  considerate  regard  to  their  comforts  so  long  as  they  do  their  duty ;  accom- 
panied by  the  strictest  discipline,  and  by  uniformly  putting  in  force  the  pro- 
visions of  Lord  Seymour's  act  in  cases  of  any  neglect  of  duty  or  disobedi- 
ence of  orders,  hazarding  the  safety  of  life  or  property,  although  no  loss  of 
either  should  take  place." 

"  With  respect  to  the  third  point  under  review,  the  difficulty  of  promptly 
stopping  trains  when  danger  is  perceived,  the  most  efficient  means  hitherto 
employed  are  immediately  to  reverse  the  engine,  and  put  on  the  tender  break: ' 
Qreat  care  should  be  taken  by  the  engineers  that  the  reversing  gear  is  of 


^40  On  the  Aimosphric  System. 

the  most  improved  construction,  not  liable  to  get  out  of  order,  and  which 
cannot  fail  to  act  when  the  reversing  lever  is  applied.  *  *  With  regard 
to  the  numerous  proposals  of  improvements  and  schemes  for  the  prevention 
of  accidents  by  mechanical  means,  if  that  unceasing  vigilance  which  cannot 
be  too  strongly  insisted  upon  on  the  part  of  the  engine  driver  should  be  at 
any  time  relaxed,  those  who  have  not  been  long  conversant  with  the  practi- 
cal working  of  a  railway  can  hardly  be  aware  how  many  of  them  have 
been  long  since,  and  under  various  forms,  already  tried,  and  found  to  be  at- 
tended with  risks  and  inconveniences  more  than  compensating  for  any  sup- 
posed advantage." 

The  committee  strongly  deprecate  the  idea  of  relieving  the  engineman 
from  "  the  responsibJe  charge  of  his  engine"  by  appointing  a  "  conductor  of 
a  higher  standing  and  superior  acquirements,  whose  special  business  it  should 
be  to  look  out,  and  under  whose  orders  the  engineman  should  act. 

"  By  introducing  another  man  on  the  engine  you  have  another  pair  of 
eyes  to  look  out ;  but  this  advantage,  if  it  be  one,  might  be  more  than  coun- 
tervailed by  the  divided  authority  and  responsibility  which  must  inevitably 
take  place. 

"Jealousy  and  disunion,  it  is  to  be  feared,  would  frequently  arise.  These 
would  be  destructive  of  confidence  in  their  own  resources  to  the  men  them- 
selves, and  fraught  with  danger  lo  the  whole  train.  As  to  the  necessity  for 
superior  acquirements  or  professional  skill,  there  is  no  evidence  of  a  single 
accident  having  occurred  owing  to  the  want  of  these  qualifications.  The 
desiderata  are  constant  vigilance  and  presence  of  mind  in  emergencies  ;  and 
your  committee  are  of  opinion  that  no  man,  however  professionally  compe- 
tent, ought  to  be  trusted  with  the  charge  of  an  engine  till  he  has  served  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  business,  and  has  thus  become  familiar  with  the  rapi- 
dity of  the  locomotive  engine  and  its  consequent  excitement,  with  its  severe, 
exposure  to  the  weather,  with  the  customs  and  practice  of  railway  operations, 
and  with  all  the  contingencies  of  locomotive  transit  regarding  police  regu- 
lations, signals,  etc." 

Such  are  the  only  means  recommended  by  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
railway  committee,  with  a  view  to  get  rid  of  the  dangers  attendant  on  this 
method  of  travelling;  and  we  really  believe  that  these  gentlemen  havesug- 
gested  all  that  can  be  done ;  and  if  all  railway  accidents,  or  the  greater  num- 
ber of  them,  were  attributable  to  carelessness  and  neglect  on  the  part  of  the 
engine  drivers,  their  suggestion  would  go  far  to  remedy  the  evil.     But  here 
we  contend  they  are  greatly  mistaken  ;  the  fault  is  in  the  system,  not  in  the 
men.     It  is  quite  true  that  the  evidence  produced  at  many  of  the  inquests 
puts  beyond  tloubt  the  fact,  that  the  necessary  signals  have  on  those  occa- 
sions been  made  and  must  have  been  seen  ;  yet  no  attention  appears  to  have 
been  paid,  and  the  most  disastrous  consequences  have  been  the  inevitable  re-  * 
suit.     But  does  it  follow  that  this  inattention  on  the  part  of  the  conductor 
has  been  the  result  o[  wilful  neglect?    Can  it  be  for  a  moment  believed  that  . 
any  man  would  thus  rush  headlong  into  danger,  to  the  almost  certain  de- 
struction of  his  own  life,  and  the  imminent  hazard  of  those  committed  to  his 
care  ?     Common  sense  repudiates  the  thought.     Nothing  short  of  madness 
could  lead  to  such  gross  acts  of  crime  and  folly.     Let  us  next  consider  the 
circumstances  under  which  these  accidents  occur,  and  it  will  be  readily  seen" 
that  they  may  be  accounted  for  much  more  satisfactorily.     Many  altema* 
tives'^must  be  rejected  before  having  recourse  to  the  insanity  of  the  engine ' 
drivers  for  an  explanation.     It  will  be  seen  that  the  question  to  be  discussed'^ 
is  not,  have  the  conductors  the  will  to  avert  the  calamities,  but  have  they  the  ' 
FQWEK? — not  whether  we  are  to  consider  them  as  suicidal  maniacs,  but  as 


■VC' 


On  the  Atmospheric  Ssfstem.  9tl 

the  slaughtered  victims  of  a  murderous  system.  Let  the  impartial  reader 
judge. 

Suppose  our  engine  director  fully  understands  the  construction  and  man- 
agement of  his  engine :  suppose  we  can  answer  for  his  discretion,  that  he 
never  gets  intoxicated,  never  gets  fatigued,  never  falls  asleep  while  on  duty, 
never  leaves  his  engine  while  on  the  line,  never  "sits  down  on  the  seat.;"* 
suppose  him  uninfluenced  by  the  "  excitement  of  rapid  travellmg,"t  or  by 
the  '•  severe  exposure  to  the  weather."^  Let  us  suppose  that  he  can  readily 
attend  to  the  working  of  his  engine,  and  yet  keep  a  good  lookout  ahead ; 
that  he  retains  his  vision  perfect  under  all  circumstances  ;  that  it  is  unim- 
paired by  moving  rapidly  through  the  air,  and  is  not  affected  by  the  clouds 
of  ashes  from  the  chimney.  Let  us  suppose,  moreover,  that  the  atmosphere 
(is  always  clear,  that  fogs  never  occur,  or  that  they  never  prevent  him  dis- 
tinguishing the  color  of  a  flag  or  lamp  ;  and,  lastly,  let  us  suppose  that  no 
curves  exist  on  the  line,  and  that  he  is  consequently  enabled  to  see  the  signal 
half  a  mile  ahead  of  him.  Now  what  is  the  time,  under  all  these  favorable 
circumstances,  allowed  ta  the  conductor  by  the  usual  speed,  to  shut  off  the 
steam,  give  the  signal  for  the  breaks  to  be  applied,  or,  if  necessary,  reverse 
his  engine?  One  minute!  But  in  addition  to  the  above  absurd  supposi- 
tions, we  have  presumed  that  the  accident  by  which  a  train  has  been  stopped 
has  taken  place  at  a  station,  and  that  the  danger  is  consequently  known  ;  we 
have  presumed  that,  knowing  this  danger,  the  company's  servants  have 
hoisted  the  red  flag  or  lamp.  But  trains  much  more  frequentJy  break  down 
between  stations,  where  they  cannot  be  expected  to  be  provided  with  signals: 
we  frequently  hear  of  trains  getting  on  the  wrong  line  and  meeting  each 
Other.  How  are  they  in  such  cases  to  be  apprised  of  their  danger  ?  If 
they  are  enabled  to  see  each  other  at  half  a  mile,  and  recognize  their  dan- 
gerous position,  yet  but  half  a  minute  must  elapse  before  they  come  into 
Qollision  if  unchecked?  Is  it  p^sible  that  this  short  space  of  time  can  be 
sufficient  for  the  two  engine  drivers  to  think,  act,  and  give  their  directions 
for  others  to  act  ?  And  if  so,  can  we  be  certain  that  the  machinery  by  which 
the  engines  are  stopped  is  in  proper  order  to  obey  these  actions  of  its  direc- 
tor? It  may  be  of  "the  most  approved  construction,"  and  may  have  been 
perfect  on  commencing  the  journey  ;  but  does  it  follow  that  it  is  so  at  this 
particular  moment?  It  is  well  known  that  the  cost  of  repairing  locomotive 
engines  is  about  60  per  cent,  of  the  fir.st  cost ;  is  the  reversing  gear,  are  the 
valves,  breaks,  the  machinery,  in  short,  now  required  to  act,  never  among 
these  expensive  repairs?  Or  are  we  to  believe  that  the  accidents  by  which 
they  are  deranged  always  occur  at  the  stations?  No  answer  is  required  to 
these  questions.  No  one,  we  think,  will  presume  to  assert  that  these  parts 
are  excepted  from  the  fatalities  which  occur  to  the  rest,  or  that  they  take 
place  while  at  rest.  The  precautions  strongly  insisted  upon  in  the  report 
relative  to  this  machinery  prove  that  they  have  been  called  for.  And  now 
we  would  ask,  are  we  justified  in  attributing  these  melancholy  occurrences 
to  the  folly  of  the  engine  driver?  Is  it  not  sufficient  to  see  his  mutilated 
corpse  stretched  before  us,  but  we  must  accuse  him  of  felo  dt  5C,  and  refuse 
his  remains  a  christian  burial,  when  an  accident  to  the  machinery  (of  the 
occurrence  of  which  the  report  indirectly  admits  the  possibility)  would  at 
once  excuse  him  ?  Charity,  pity,  all  the  better  feelings  of  humanity,  answer 
in  the  affirmative. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  suppositions  we  have  made  in  order  to  give 
every  possible  advantage  to  this  system  are  absurd,  for  we  have  assumed 

.  *  One  of  the  charges  made  against  the  unfortunate  Simpson  on  the  inquest. 

■  ■  t  Vide  report.  J  Ibid.  ,  .r 


On  the  Atmospheric  System.         ' 

humanity  to  be  perfect,  materials  indestructible,  the  atmosphere  invariable, 
curved  lines  straight ;  yet  this  is  not  sufficient :  we  must  still  presume  that 
actions  require  no  time  for  their  performance,  and  that  matter  is  deprived 
of  its  vis  inertia!  Had  we  drawn  any  inference  from  the  facts  that' sad  ex- 
perience has  afforded  us  to  judge  from,  we  should  have  concluded  the  dan- 
ger to  be  entirely  referable  to  the  use  of  locomotives,  huge  masses  moving 
at  a  great  and  varying  velocity,  and  over  which  the  conductor  has  compa- 
ratively no  control.  To  render  railway  travelling  safe,  (a  method  of  travel- 
ling now  so  essential  to  the  commercial  prosperity  of  this  country,)  we  must 
begin  by  rejecting  the  locomotive,  and  substituting  in  its  stead  stationary 
power. 

If  we  have  shown,  as  we  hope  "we  have,  dispassionately  and  fairly,  that 
so  large  a  balance  of  safety  is  due  to  the  atmospheric  system,  the  large  sa- 
ving of  human  life  and  suffering  that  would  result  from  its  adoption  ought 
to  be  one  of  its  best  advocates  for  public  patronage  ;  and  in  the  same  pro- 
portion that  it  restored  public  confidence  and  appetite  for  railway  travelling, 
would  it  benefit  the  directors  and  proprietors.  Every  fatal  accident,  on 
whichever  railway  it  has  occurred,  has  been  followed  by  a  sensible  reduc- 
tion in  the  traffic ;  and  this  can  be  a  matter  of  no  surprise,  when  it  is  recol- 
lected that  the  present  traffic  possessed  by  all  railways  was  actually  formed 
by  the  increased  facilities  and  inducements  they  held  out  to  travellers  over 
turnpike  roads ;  remove  these  facilities,  and  the  increased  traffic  will  van- 
ish. No  railroad  in  existence  could  pay  its  expenses  carrying  only  such 
passengers  as  are  actually  obliged  to  travel,  and  therefore  the  best  policy 
of  railway  directors  is  to  induce  the  public  to  use  their  lines  by  affording 
them  the  fullest  and  best  accommodation  as  regards  safety,  speed,  cheap 
fares  and  agreeable  travelling.  That  railway  which  provides  best  for  the 
wants  and  wishes  of  the  public  will,  and  very  properly  so,  become  the  most 
patronised ;  and  it  is  scarcely  too  much  to  assert  that  a  very  large  portion 
of  business  will  spring  up  and  locate  itself  along  such  lines,  while  others 
which  may  at  present  possess  a  large  traffic  will  lose  what  they  found  to 
their  hand,  if,  neglecting  this  course,  they  lull  themselves  into  the  mistaken 
notion  that  the  monopoly  they  possess,  not  the  convenience  they  afford,  will 
guarantee  them  an  equal  amount  of  business. 

The  first  grand  object  in  railway  undertakings  is  to  render  them  a  per- 
fectly secure  mode  of  transit — a  conveyance  by  which  the  most  timid  may 
travel  without  hesitation,  without  a  thought  of  fear,  and  of  course  without 
an  example  of  ill,  arising  from  the  badness  of  their  workings,  to  refer  to : 
these  great  works,  destined  as  they  are  to  effect  much  good  to  all  classes  of 
society,  will  never  be,  nor  indeed  deserve  to  be,  looked  upon  as  a  permanent 
benefit  until  they  have  arrived  at  this  point.  Precisely  as  a  country  flour- 
ishes under  a  well  regulated  system  of  police  and  justice,  where  the  liberty 
and  right  of  the  subject  are  respected,  so  will  railways  flourish  as  human 
life  in  their  keeping  becomes  secure.  The  high  roads  of  England  became 
more  travelled  over  as  the  robbers  that  infested  them  fell  into  the  hands  of 
justice ;  and  it  is  a  matter  of  small  importance  to  a  person  contemplating  a 
journey  whether  he  have  to  fear  falling  a  prey  to  the  assassin's  knife,  or 
losing  his  life  from  the  collision  of  two  railway  trains.  The  possibility  of 
either  would  equally  prevent  the  timid  from  travelling,  and  the  courageous 
from  travelling  more  than  necessity  required. 

To  render  Uie  railway  system  perfectly  secure  is,  then,  the  first  object, 
and  to  this  end  should  those  who  have  its  prosperity  at  heart  look  well. 
Humanity  dictates  it,  and  interest  prompts  it  -  and  what  greater  inducements, 
we  would  ask,  need  be  urged  %  .       .  _ 


■^^.V-: 


On  iht  Atmospheric  System.  243 

i-'  Perhaps  the  next  point,  after  having  arrived  at  that  degree  of  security  re- 
quired to  satisfy  the  public,  is  to  obtain  that  system  of  working  which  is  the 
most  economical.  A  large  portion  of  the  British  commercial  public  have, 
with  that  enterprize  which  characterizes  all  their  actions,  embarked  large 
sums  of  money  in  establishing  railway  communications  between  most  of 
the  principal  towns  in  the  kingdom.  They  saw  the  advantages  that  were 
certain  to  result  from  such  an  improved  communication,  but  they  did  not 
know,  indeed  it  would  have  been  too  much  to  have  expected  from  them  the 
expense  of  making  and  maintaining  this  communication.  They  Only  knew 
what  their  eng^ineers  told  them.  Their  engineers'  estimates  in  most  cases 
were  considerably  less  than  was  found  necessary  for  the  work,  and  this, 
added  to  the  increased  annual  expense  of  working  (above  that  originially 
contemplated  when  most  of  the  present  lines  were  projected,)  has  placed 
these  undertakings  in  a  very  questionable  light  as  commercial  speculations 
and  permanent  investments.  If  Ave  show  this  to  be  the  present  position  of 
most  railways,  which  we  intend  doing  by  reference  to  their  own  accounts, 
we  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  we  do  not  from  this  circumstance  draw  a 
conclusion  that  they  cannot  be  made  a  lucrative  investment.  On  the  con- 
trary, we  are  of  opinion  that  they  can  :  we  think  it  has  been  clearly  shown 
that  all  their  difficulties  have  arisen  and  are  perpetuated  by  the  use  of  an  im- 
proper system  of  working.  So  long  as  the  locomotive  system  is  adhered 
to,  a  strict  economy  may  in  a  small  degree  lessen  the  expenses,  but  no  ma- 
terial improvement  can  be  hoped  or  obtained.  To  strike  at  the  yoot  of  the 
evil,  the  system  must  be  abolished  ;  anything  short  of  this  will  not  be  pro- 
ductive of  benefits  on  a  sufficiently  extensive  scale  to  enable  railways  to 
maintain  their  present  position,  and  yield  a  return  for  the  millions  they  have 
cost  A  better  instance  of  this  fact  can  scarcely  be  needed  than  an  inspec- 
tion of  the  receipts  and  expenditure  of  those  railways  already  in  operation. 
From  the  official  weekly  returns  in  the  "  Railway  Times,"  we  perceive 
seventeen  railways  are  in  operation  the  whole  of  their  length,  and  out  of 
the  whole  number  only  thrse  are  earning  sufficient  to  pay  their  subscribers 
more  than  common  interest  for  their  money.  Of  the  remaining  fourteen, 
six  are  not  taking  as  much  for  their  gross  receipts  as  the  interest  of  their 
capital  embarked,  iJidependent  of  working  expenses ;  and  the  receipts  on 
the  remaining  eight,  after  deducting  the  working  expenses,  do  not  leave  £5 
per  cent,  dividend  for  their  subscribers. 

Fifty  millions  sterling  have  been  embarked  in  railway  speculations,  and 
seventeen  lines  have  come  into  full  working  activity,  of  which  number  only 
three  can  show  a  return  beyond  common  interest  to  the  subscribers :  it  well 
behoves  capitalists  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  their  disappointments,  and  to 
seek  to  recover  some  of  the  golden  harvests  they  were  led  to  expect,  and 
which  have  melted  away  before  their  eyes  like  ice  in  the  rays  of  the  sun. 
Anything  short  of  perfect  indifference  to  their  own  interest  will  force  on 
them  the  conclusion  that  they  must  no  longer  shut  out  the  idea  of  improv- 
ing, and  listen  only  to  the  counsel  and  advice  of  those  at  present  in  their 
confidence,  whose  interests  are  served  by  maintaining  things  as  they  now 
are,  and  by  clinging  to  preconceptions  and  prejudices  as  part  and  parcel  of 
their  existence.  When  looking  over  the  half  yearly  accounts  of  a  railway 
worked  by  locomotive  power,  common  sense  and  observation  cannot  fail  to 
lead  to  the  conclusion,  that  a  very  large  portion  of  what  would  be  profits  is 
absorbed  by  the  nature  of  the  power  applied ;  but  although  a  cursory  no- 
tice of  the  accounts  would  prompt  this  conclusion,  few  would  imagine,  with- 
out giving  the  matter  very  close  attention,  how  great  this  portion  is.  Some 
idea  of  it  may  be  drawn  from  the  following  facts.    Each  train  on  railways 


344  On  the  Atmospheric  System.  ■  j. 

is  drawn  by  an  engine,  the  average  weight  of  which  is  20  tons ;  therefore 
20  tons  carried  with  each  train  is  perfectly  useless.  On  the  London  and 
Birmingham  railway  the  lowest  charge  for  goods  is  £2  per  ton  for  the 
whole  112  miles.  Supposing,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  the  expense  of  V 
maintaining  and  working  the  locomotive  department  to  remain  unaltered,  i* 
but  the  engines  to  weigh  nothing ;  it  is  clear  that  the  company  would  be 
able  to  transport  20  tons  more  with  each  train  for  the  same  cost,  or  16  tons 
of  profitable  merchandize,  after  deducting  one-fourth  for  the  wagons,  which 
at  £2  per  ton  would  add  to  their  revenue  £30  per  journey,  or;  with  their 
present  number  of  trains,  (12  each  way  daily) — £306,000  a  year.  No 
doubt  this  fact  will  take  many  railway  proprietors  by  surprise,  who  by  a 
natural  course  of  reasoning  will  immediately  seek  to  discover  by  what 
means  so  large  an  amount,  at  present  wasted,  can  be  made  to  find  its  way 
into  their  pockets.  The  means  are  obvious ;  the  waste  is  occasioned  by 
transporting  useless  weight ;  remove  the  useless  weight,  and  the  objection 
ceases  of  itself  Before  the  introduction  of  the  atmospheric  system,  it  was 
hopeless,  by  any  known  mechanical  means,  to  effect  this  :  every  previous 
opplication  of  power  carried  considerable  useless  weight  with  it.  The  at- 
mospheric is  entirely  free  from  this  objection ;  and  it  was  mainly  from  a 
knowledge  of  the  benefits  that  must  result  from  this  source  that  we  have  la- 
bored so  incessantly  (and  happily  with  ^uch  success)  to  mature  and  bring  it 
before  the  public,  for  their  consideration  and  approbation. 

Such  would  be  the  effect  of  dismissing  only  the  useless  weight ;  but  add 
to  this  the  other  advantage  possessed  by  the  atmospheric  system,  and  the 
London  and  Birmingham  railway  (notwithstanding  its  present  large  capital 
sunk)  would  be  enabled  to  carry  passengers  at  5s.  each,  and  goods  at  6s. 
3d.  per  ton,  the  whole  112  miles,  and  share  the  same  dividend  as  now. 

The  calculations  from  which  this  statement  is  adduced  are  shown  as  fol- 
lows: viz.*  ..-,;,..,._.-, ^-.^--Ti.       f^v."  ~  .-    "■'.^-'■?-'  '; 

.-.j-i:^    ',..;•  Per  day.        Peryeav' 

2500  persons  at  5s.  each,  -  ,  ;.     -*      .     -  £   626  t 

5930  tons  merchandize  at  6s.  Zd.  per  ton,     -        v^^^i;      1,863 

,.  £2,478— £805,360 
"  Expenses,  viz:                                                 ' 

Coals,  38  stations  X  600  lbs.  per  hour  X  16  hours  per  K 

day  =  6867  tons  per  year  at  10s.  per  ton,  -  -   £  3,434  :      jy-  ?•  HI 

76  engine  drivers  at  £100  per  year,        -       £7,600  '-^'r'^^ikk 

76  stokers  at  £50  per  year,  -            -            -   3,800  "v-'^v             >*i?^' 

Repairs  to  engines,  oil  and  tallow,  at  £70  '?f 

eachx38,  ....  2,660—  14,060  xi 
Renewal  of  travelling  apparatus,  composition,  charcoal, 

etc.,  £100  per  mile  X  112,            -            -            -  11,200   «^V -•"^4 

Maintenance  of  way  and  attendance  to  main  £300  per  mile,  33,600                  V 

Police,  coaching,  wagons,  etc.,  (as  on  locomotive  lines),  80,604                  t 

General  charges,  (as  on  locomotive  lines),    w*  i-'    -  16,400                   * 

Parish  rates,  (as  on  locomotive  lines),     -            -  14,400                   " 

Add  5  per  cent,  interest  on  £1,500,000,  the  total  amount  * 

required  to  furnish  the  atmospheric  apparatus  on  a  -^ 

K-  scale  for  transporting  9600  tons  per  day,          -  76,000 —  247,698 

Balance, £657,652 

*  This  ectimate  of  traffic  is  of  coarse  much  gteater  than  at  present  exists  on  the  line,  bnt  consider- 
ably less  than  the  reduced  prices  would  produce ;  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  at  these  ratM 
any  extent  of  traffic  could  be  obtained  in  coals  and  iron  alone,  as  it  is  less  than  a  sea  borne  freight 
fr»B  Um  Aortk. 


On  the  Atmospheric  System.  346 

Per  day.        Per  year. 
By  reference  to  the  last  general  meeting  of  the  London 

and  Birmingham  railway  company,  (see  "  Railway  *  ;: 

Times,"  13th  February,  1841.)  the  present  receipts  -  :' 

average  per  year,       -      ^      -   ^^  >     "  -        £810,000     -  v.      ,'  . 

And  the  present  expenses,    -      v   •  •      -     •   ,;       j-    260,000     '-'■    ""-'■ 
Balance,    -     ^>     ->         •i,'v^;5ii^^^^       :w  ~     £550,000 

The  present  charges  are,      ^l;]vr  f^S^-^f  •:  -     ■  ■      -....y-^. ■-:■:'■.' 
For  passengers,  (average),        -     ;•/",;     •  '  '  :.      .  •  25s.  each. 

Lowest  charge  for  merchandize,       -i  -  -  ''  -    40s.  per  ton. 

We  have  already  shown  the  expense  of  formation  in  railways  to  be 
greatly  influenced  by  a  portion  of  the  power  employed  being  unavailable, 
and  that  the  road  is  levelled  as  a  convenience  for  the  propelling  power,  not 
the  traffic  conveyed.  We  have  also  shown  that  the  destruction  to  the  road 
is  attributable  to  the  weights  and  shocks  of  the  engines,  not  of  the  trains ; 
that  the  enormous  expense  of  locomotive  power  and  coke  arises  from  the 
bad  application  of  power  and  the  artificial  means  employed  to  work  engines 
at  an  unnatural  speed.  In  other  words,  all  the  expenses  have  been  traced 
home  to  the  use  of  locomotive  engines,  which  have,  from  the  opening  of 
railways  for  passenger  traffic  to  the  present  day,  been  a  source  of  continual  • 
annoyance  and  vexation  ;  breakage  after  breakage  has  occurred,  and  been 
succeeded  by  increasing  the  weight  and  power  of  the  machines ;  this  in  turn 
has  led  to  the  necessity  of  increasing  the  strength  and  stability  of  the  rails 
and  foundatfons  on  which  they  travel,  and  increasing  the  strength  of  the 
passenger  carriages,  to  resist  any  shocks  they  may  occasionally  receive  from 
their  ponderous  neighbor ;  until  we  have  arrived  at  this  conclusion,  that  on 
an  iron  railroad,  where  the  surface  is  by  comparison  smooth  and  the  track 
marked  out,  a  carriage  to  convey  eighteen  passengers  must  weigh  about  3 
tons,  while  over  a  rough  paved  road  an  omnibus  weighing  only  1  ton  will 
perform  the  same  amount  of  duty.  Here  are  facts  which  must  at  once  con- 
vince every  one  that  there  are  in  the  present  system,  radical  defects  to  be 
weeded  out:  if  no  remedy  were  suggested,  it  might  be  difficult  for  railway 
companies  to  determine  how  to  extricate  themselves  from  their  present  po- 
sition ;  but  under  existing  circumstances  their  position  is  by  no  means  a  dif- 
ficult one.  The  atmospheric  railway  has  been  tested  by  actual  operation  at 
the  entire  expense  of  the  inventors  and  their  friends.  The  public  have  not 
been  nsked  to  support  it,  or  even  encourage  it,  until  it  has  been  clearly 
proved  beyond  all  doubt  to  merit  confidence  from  its  general  usefulness.  It 
has  claims  to  notice  both  in  a  national  and  commercial  point  of  view ;  for 
while  it  will  afford  the  means  of  railway  communication  to  second  and  third 
rale  towns  by  the  small  outlay  necessary  for  the  formation  and  working,  it 
will  enable  the  proprietors  of  railway  enterprizes  already  established  or  in 
course  of  formation,  to  realize  that  return  for  their  capital  which  they  so 
richly  deserve,  and  which,  under  the  present  system,  they  so  hopelessly 
look  for.  ^      ..      ;-  r--*y- 

^  jj  The  length  of  the  foregoing  treatise,  prevents  us  from  giving,  as  we  pro- 
mised and  intended,  in  this  number,  the  examination  of  Messrs.  Gibbons, 
Cubit,  Brunei  and  Stephenson,  before  the  committee  of  the  house  of  com- 
mons. We  shall,  however,  continue  the  subject  in  our  next,  and  at  consid- 
erable length,  that  it  may  be  properly  understood  in  this  country,  at  least  aft 
far  as  it  can  be  from  the  experience  of  those  who  have  examined,  studied  I 
and  tested  it.     In  giving  thus  fully  the  views  of  the  patentees,  and  those 


246 


Georgia  Railroad  Report. 


who  have  experimented  upon  it,  we  have  but  one  object  in  view,  and  ihat  is 
to  bring  the  matter  fairly  before  the  railroad  community  that  it  may  be  un- 
derstood, and  if  found  to  possess  advantages  over  the  present  system,  adopt- 
ed ;  but  if  not,  then  let  us  stand  by  the  "  iron  horse^^  which  has  already  ac- 
complished so  much. 

To  succeed  and  come  into  general  use,  it  has  yet  to  overcome  a  powerful 
opposition,  not  greater  however,  than  the  locomotive  has  already  overcome ; 
we  therefore  have  no  anxiety  in  relation  to  it,  as  there  is  likely  to  be  a 
thorough  and  probably  fair  trial  of  it  on  the  Epsom  road,  after  which, 
opinion  or  theory  will  give  place  to  fact,  and  the  system  will  be  either  sus- 
tained or  exploded  ;  although  we  do  not  agree  with  the  "  North  American" 
that  it  has  already  "  exploded"  as  there  are  quite  as  good  opinions  in  its  fa- 
vor,— Mr.  Cubit's,  Mr.  Brunei's  and  Mr.  Gibbon's — as  Mr.  Stephenson's 
against  it,  as  we  will  show  in  our  nexL 


■:.-<\»...Lf 


GEORGIA    RAILROAD    AND    BANIKNG    COMPANY. 

We  are  indebted  to  J.  E.  Thompson,  Esq..  chief  engineer,  for  a  copy  of 
their  last  report,  giving  a  statement  of  their  progress  to  April  last,  from 
which  we  learn  that  the  work  is  progressing  steadily,  but  surely,  to  com- 
pletion. In  1837  forty  miles  of  this  road  was  brought  into  use;  in  1838 
it  was  extended  to  75  miles ;  in  1839  to  88  miles ;  in  1840  to  105  miles, 
and  in  1841  to  147^  miles.  The  total  receipts  for  passengers  and  freight 
are  given  as  $1,233,887  00,  its  total  expenses  §528, 168  00  and  its  net  pro- 
fits $705,719  00.  The  rates  were  considerably  reduced  last  year,  and  the 
business  increased  nearly  33  per  cent.,  and  the  net  profits  are  nearly  $10,000 
greater  for  1843  than  for  the  previous  year,  thus  showing  in  an  eminent 
degree,  the  correctness  of  the  policy  of  putting  the  charges  at  rates  which 
will  increase,  rather  than  prevent  or  divert  in  other  channels  the  business  of 
the  region  through  which  railroads  pass.  It  is  wQTlhy  of  remark,  that 
with  an  increase  of  business  of  over  30  per  cent,  in  1S43,  the  expenses  of 
the  road  were  less  by  $9,246  than  in  1842.  The  net  pyofits  exceed  six  per 
cent,  on  the  cost  of  the  road,  including  its  branches  and  machinery,  which 
is  certainly  encouraging  to  those  interested,  to  push  on  the  work  as  rapidly 
as  possible  ;  and  it  encourages  us  to  look  forward,  with  increasing  confidence 
to  its  connection  with  other  interests  and  other  roads,  until  it  rests  one  foot 
on  the  Mississippi  and  the  other  on  the  gulf  of  Mexico,  with  its  outlet  on 
the  Atlantic.  -i^^ 

engineer's  report. 
To  the  Ho7i.  John  P  King,  president  of  the  Georgia  railroad  and  bank- 
ing company. 

Sir  : — I  have  the  pleasure  to  communicate  to  you  the  proceedings  of  this 
department  for  the  year  ending  on  the  31si  of  March. 

Active  operations  upon  the  extension  were  commenced  between  Madison 
and  Covington  about  fifteen  months  since.  From  the  nature  of  the  contracts 
entered  into,  the  work  has  necessarily  progressed  but  slowly.  Yet  we  have 
every  reason  to  believe,  that  the  whole  of  the.  grading  and  masonry  then 
contracted  for — much  of  it  quite  heavy — will  be  finished  by  the  first  of  July 


I" 


Georgia  Railroad  Report  247 

__..  ■  _vj:>    -..v:c  ,..-.-,  .       .       ..■;f.:;-.^v.;_  ..^,-.-   ..  _  ^    ... 

next,  except  probably  a  rock  section  which  may  not  be  completed  until  Au- 
gust In  consequence  of  the  uncertainty  which  rested  over  the  extension 
of  our  road,  even  to  Covington,  the  wood  work  of  the  bridges,  from  its 
perishable  character,  was  not  contracted  for  until  the  general  letting  in  No- 
vember last,  at  which  time  it  was  thought  that  if  immediately  commenced, 
it  could  be  finished  as  soon  as  the  grading.  The  subsequent  demand  for 
labor,  and  consequent  rise  in  its  price,  has  however,  materially  interfered 
with  the  execution  of  the  timber,  con  tracts,  which  together  with  the  failure 
of  the  Nisbet  iron  works  to  supply  the  bridge  irons  required,  has  greatly 
retarded  the  progress  of  the  work,  and  I  fear,  will  prevent  us  from  reaching 
Covington  as  early  as  we  had  desired. 

As  soon  as  practicable  after  the  means  necessary  for  the  continuation  of 
the  road  to  the  southeastern  terminus  of  the  State  work  had  been  obtained, 
the  grading  and  bridging  of  the  whole  line  was  placed  under  contract.  The 
work  was  let  upon  very  favorable  terms,  but  from  causes  already  referred 
to,  it  has  not  progressed  with  that  spirit  which  we  had  expected.  Since  the 
late  decline  in  the  staple  of  the  country,  labor  has  become  more  abundant, 
and  the  work  is  now  advancing  with  renewed  vigor.  From  our  present 
prospects,  it  is  believed  that  the  whole  line,  with  some  immaterial  exceptions 
will  be  ready  by  the  first  of  February  next  for  the  reception  of  the  super- 
strueture.  While  we  cannot  calculate  with  certainty  the  precise  time  we 
shall  reach  Covington,  yet  we  may  safely  place  the  completion  of  the  entire 
road  to  the  State  termmus  at  not  later  than  September,  1845. 

The  following  is  a  revised  estimate  of  the  cost  of  the  road  from  Madison 
to  the  southeast  terminus  of  the  Western  and  Atlantic  railroad,  a  distance 
of  67  ,\  miles. 

Graduation,  including  culverts.  :'-/'    C 

From  Madison  to  Rutledge's,  8  8  miles,  $26,500  00    '  • ''    *^-'  r^ 

«     Rutledge's  to  Social  Circle,  7-3  miles,         27,800  00      -V     ■'" 
"     Social  Circle  to  Covington,  104  miles,       87^400  00 
"     Covington  to  Holcomb's,  105  miles,  51,800  00  ':-^'"-..\Z. 

"     Holcomb's  to  Stone  Mountain  Depot,  150, 43,100  00 
"     Stone  Mountain  to  Marthaville,  154  miles,  71,600  00—  308,200  00 

Bridging. 
Alcovy  bridge  and  truss  work,  1400  feet,  20,600  00  ;  :    ■ 

Cornish  creek  bridge,  610    '^      4,900  00  ••^^^''•^ 

Wood's  mill  bridge,  470    "      4.700  00    i  "i:^:;^^i-- ; 

Dried  Indian  creek  bridge,  900    "       4,600  00      ■  - 

Turkey  creek  bridge,  -      '     370    "       1,800  00    '■ 

Yellow  river  bridge  and  approaches,     490    '•     12,800  00 
Sundry  small  railway  and  road  bridges,  3,300  00—    52,700  00 

Superstructure. 
Mud  sills  for  main  line  and  turnouts,  69  miles,    20,700  00        '  .    ' '  - 
Cross  ties            "                        "             "          28,900  00      -  :  ^-   ^V  • 
Wooden  rail  or  stringers,             "             «          29,800  00         z^;;^  .■>•- 
Iron  (exclusive  of  duty)  at  $45  per  ton,     "         185,000  00  -    :•■ 

Cast  iron  chairs  and  washers,                    "           11,000  00 
Screws,  spikes  and  bolts,                             «           19,000  00 
Laying  superstructure  and  contingencies,  "          48,000  00 —  342,400  00 
Right  of  way,                -                -                •      18,000  00  .. 

Real  estate  to  be  retained  for  use  of  road,      -      12,000  00  v-i^i^ 

Engineering,  etc.,           -                -                -      33,000  00 
Depots,  wells,  pumps,  tanks  and  division  houses,  18,000  00 —     81,000  00 
Total  cost  of  road,'  ;.,-....:*  $784,300  00 


348  Georgia  Railroad  Report.  I 

Equal  to  $11,366  per  mile  for  the  length  of  single  road,  or  $11,636  per 
mile  for  the  distance  between  Madison  and  Mavthaville ;  which,  if  the 
whole  had  been  executed  at  the  present  low  cash  rates,  could  have  been  done 
for  about  $1000  per  mile  less.  #  #  # 

The  receipts  of  the  road  for  this  year,  have  exceeded  those  of  last  year 
only  $69  50,  while  the  gross  tonnage  has  been  increased  fully  33  per  cent. 
On  the  down  freight,  the  receipts  have  fallen  off  $6,173  80,  and  the  passage 
money  has  increased  $6,290  08 — the  up  freight  remaining  nearly  station- 
ary. It  will  be  recollected,  however,  that  we  received  last  year  about 
$12,000  for  the  transportation  of  iron,  spikes,  etc.,  for  the  Western  and  At- 
lantic railroad,  which  should  not  be  counted  in  the  general  business  of  the 
country.  By  deducting  this  amount  from  the  receipts  of  that  year,  we  have  ' 
the  increase  of  the  receipts  of  this  year,  about  equal  to  those  of  last  year 
over  the  year  previous. 

The  reduction  iu  our  rates  was  probably  greater  than  succeeding  cir- 
cumstances have  justified;  especially  as  they  have  not  been  met  by  corres- 
ponding concessions  on  the  part  of  our  neighbors  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Savannah,  except  upon  such  articles  as  they  are  competitors  with  the  steam- 
boats for.  But  as  there  has  been  no  diminution  in  our  receipts,  and  not- 
withstanding the  increased  tonnage  transported,  the  expenses  of  the  road 
have  fallen  short  of  those  of  last  year.  We  are  not  disposed,  from  these 
causes,  as  well  as  a  disinclination  to  frequent  changes,  to  make  any  material 
variation  in  our  tariff 

Having  failed  in  our  efforts  to  form  a  satisfactory  ticket  at  a  reduced  rate, 
for  the  travel  going  through  from  Baltimore  to  Montgomery,  we  have  been 
content  to  confine  ourselves  to  a  ticket  from  Montgomery  to  Charleston — be- 
tween which  points  passengers  are  now  carried  in  less  than  two  and  a  half 
days,  for  $26  50,  by  railroad  and  stages. 

We  have  also,  in  conformity  with  a  resolution  of  the  board,  carried  out 
the  suggestion  referred  to  in  my  report  of  last  year,  in  relation  to  plan- 
ters accompanying  their  produce  to  market  at  a  reduced  rate.  The  system, 
as  far  as  we  can  judge  of  ils  effects,  seems  to  have  operated  alike  beneficial 
to  the  company  and  planters,  aijd  is  at  least  worthy  of  a  longer  trial. 

The  business  of  the  road,  and  the  expenses  incurred  in  working  it,  during 
the  year  ending  on  the. 31st  ultiTno,  are  shown  in  the  following  summary 
statement.  The  usual  detailed  statements  of  the  several  accounts,  will  be 
found  among  the  accompanying  papers. 

CR.  rrt.^i'^  ■■■:':■  ^y^'v^'^'^^\^-'?ii^: 

By  amount  received  for  passengers  up    -  -  -  S'34,005  20 

down     -  -  -        31,G60  83 

** '.  "    extra  trips,  extra  baggage,  negroes,  etc.     3,664  86 

,<«  "     freight  up  -  -  -         69,661   19  ^ 

.  ««  "        "      down      -         ,-  -  78,400  26  |- V^'V  • 

"  "        "      between  stations  -  -  388  52  •       ^'> 

"  "    rents      -  -  -  -  «       809  66 

.       •'  «     United  Sutes  mail  -  -  -        29,246  97— 8i248,096  44 

DR.  '    . 

For  expenses  of  conducting  transportation  -      "  "•'    $26,902  61      »*. '.  j;  i^r5X 

".     motive  power  -  -  -  -  25,838  29         •'•-!( 

•*        "      maintenance  of  way,        -  -  -        38,156  97 

"        "  "  cars    -  -  -  9,675  45—8.100,573  33 

■ '-    Leaving  net  profit        -  -  -  ^'^^m  -      $147,523  12 

Over  six  per  cent  on  the  cost  of  the  road,  including  the  branches  machi- 
nery, etc. 

The  expenses  of  the  road  have,  for  reasons  given  in  my  last  annual  re- 
port,  fallen  below  those  of  last  year.  For  the  next  year  mainly  from  oppo- 
site causes,  they  will  be  somewhat  higher. 


r 


% 


/ron  12e«cnttC  Steamer. — Qaerp.  849 

The  efficiency  of  our  motive  power  has  been  so  materially  increased, 
Ihat  although  we  have  had  a  larger  tonnage  than  usual,  and  had  disposed 
of  one  of  our  original  stock  of  engines,  we  have  still  been  able  to  do  the 
business  with  regularity,  without  calling  into  service  two  of  the  remaining 
number.     This  improvement  is  mainly  to  be  attributed  to  the  alteration  of 
^.    .the  l^ennessee,  to  Messrs.  Baldwin  and  Whitney's  improved  freight  engine, 
.referred  to  in  a  former  communication.     This  engine  having  been  the  first 
?of  the  kind  made,  we  had  to  encounter  the  risk  of  a  failure  in  some  of  the 
■  details  of  its  construction — the  subsequent  occurrence  of  which,  as  antici- 
'■  pated,  prevented  us  from  deriving  any  benefit  from  the  services  of  the  ma- 
^chine  until  last  fall.     We  have  since  given  it  ample  trial,  and  have  become 
',  as  fully  satisfied  with  its  practical  performance,  as  we  had  previously  been 
.;'v  with  the  principles  upon  which  it  was  built.     As  soon  as  we  had  fully  test- 
'^'*d  this  machine,  we  ordered  in  accordance  w^ith  our  original  intention,  a 
..small  engine  of  similar  make,  for  the  Athens  branch,  to  be  delivered  this 
spring.     We  are  informed  however,  by  the  manufacturers,  that  upon  put- 
ting it  together,  its  weight  greatly  exceeded  our  limits,  and  in  consequence, 
^we  have  been  compelled  to  reject  it,  and  wait  until  another  can  be  completed. 
The  number  of  miles  run  by  all  our  engines,  during  the  year,  is  153,125, 
^irof  which  87,200  miles  was  by  the  regular  passenger  trains,  on  the  main 
I  line  and  Athens  branch,  carrying  also  some  freight.     The  net  amount  of 
{freight  hauled  by  all  the  trains  one  mile,  is  about  1,300,000  tons,  exclusive 
of  materials  for  the  road.     The  expenses  of  the  motive  power  department 
are  $25,838  24,  or  16  -^q-  cents  per  mile  run  by  the  engines.     The  repairs 
I  of  the  engines  and  tenders,  and  the  cost  of  fuel,  are  each  3  -,^u- cents  per 
mile  run.     The  whole  expense  of  the  road  is  65J  cents  per  mile  run  by 
the  trains.     The  cost  of  maintaining  the  road  is,  this  year,  $260  per  mile 
or  nearly  25  cents  per  mile  run  by  the  trains. 

>  IRON   REVENUE    STEAMER    ON    LAKE    ERIE. 

*  We  have  been  politely  furnished  with  the  following  statement  in  relation 
to  the  iron  revenue  steamer  on  lake  Erie,  built  by  Messrs.  Stillmam,  Alien 

;  &  Co.,  of  this  city,  for  the  United  States  revenue  service.     Length  of  keel 

,f  144  feet,  breadth  of  beam  23  feet,  depth  of  hold  12  feet ;  keel  1  foot  in  depth 
of  ^  inch  iron ;  ribs  or  frame  4^  X  f  inch ;  plating  of  bottom  f  inch. — 
Rigged  with  three  masts,  having  a  pair  of  Capt.  Hunter's  submerged  wheels. 
Weight  of  iron  about  125  tons.  This  ship  was  put  up  in  the  ship  house 
of  Stillman,  Allen  &  Co.,  taken  down  in  sections  of  convenient  size  for  ship- 

iment,  and  sent  to  Buffalo,  where  she  is  now  rapidly  going  on  to  completion. 
She  is  one  of  four  of  the  same  class  now  building  under  the  direction  of 
Capt.  Wm.  A.  Howard.  The  engines  for  this  vessel  are  being  made  at  the 
"  Buffalo  steam  engine  works,"  according  to  the  direction  of  Capt.  Hunter, 

ubut  of  their  capacity  we  are  not  informed. 

-,,    Jl3»  Will  the  chief  engineer  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  please 
JJanswer  the  following  enquiry  ?  . 

June  26. 
Mr.  EnrroR :  To  decide  a  discussion,  will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  furnish  a 
reply  to  the  following  query,  in  the  next  number  of  your  Journal,  or  when- 
evier  at  is  cMxyeni^  to  ^mn  or  call  up<^  a  correspondent.  weU  iaSoj^oi  of 


■m 


Delaware  Breakwater. 


the  facts,  for  an  answer? — What  was  the  actual  t^ost  of  the  depot  and  cat 
house  at  Baltimore  ?  I  am  anxious  to  get  a  certain  estimate,  and  your  at* 
tention  to  this  request  will  be  considered  a  real  favor.     Respectfully  your*8, 

A  Friend  to  Internal  Improvement^'..- 


DELAWARE    BREAKWATER. 


i;: 


Major  Bachc,  United  States  engineer,  says,  in  his  report  to  the  secretary 
of  war,  dated  October  15th,  1843, 

"  Since  the  session  of  1837  and  1838,  no  appropriation  has  been  made  to 
continue  the  construction  of  the  Delaware  breakwater,  and  the  last  stone 
provided  by  that  appropriation  was  deposited  in  1839.  *  • 

"  The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  days'  shelter  afforded  to  ves- 
sels by  the  Delaware  breakwater,  from  the  1st  of  September,  1833,  to  the 
30th  of  September,  1843,  inclusive — omitting  the  periods  embraced  betweeii 
the  1st  of  July  and  the  17th  of  October,  1834  ;  and  the  4th  of  June,  1840, 
and  the  30th  of  April,  1841,  (when  no  record  was  kept) ;  and  also  omitting 
vessels  carrying  stone,  or  otherwise  connected  with  the  work. 


Years. 

1833 

Ships. 

22 

Brigs. 

178 

Schoon- 
ers. 

372 

Sloops. 

167 

Pilot 
boats. 

127 

TotaL 

866 

Remarks. 

From  Sept.  1st,  inclusive. 

1834 

48 

315 

667 

303 

411 

1,744 

July  1st  to  October  17th,  in- 
,  elusive,  not  recorded. 

1835 

133 

569 

1,719 

461 

644 

3,526 

1836 

301 

1,027 

2,719 

620 

767 

5,433 

■  ;.  "^ /._ .   "'  '- 

'.; 

1837 

227 

478 

2,777 

629 

732 

4,843 

.'          _           ,*'.: 

1838 

165 

732 

3,191 

765 

685 

5,538 

, ;  •"     ■"-  ■  ■"    '  ■ ,  /■■' 

■•■.;;.v>>'''' 

1839 

165 

504 

3,561 

734 

697 

5,661 

-    •        ■'  ^ .      ■''  "\. 

."  V '  ■-*'. 

1840 

172 

279 

1,909 

308 

371 

3,039 

To  June  3d,  inclusive. 

1841 

111 

902 

3,916 

590 

483 

6,002 

From  May  1st,  inclusive. 

1842 

107 

1,060 

5,335 

802 

794 

8,098 

1843 

84 

644 

3,865 

962 

572 

6,127 

To  Sept.  30th,  inclusive. 

1,535  6,688 

30,031  6,341 

6,283  50,878 

Making  a  just  allowance  for  the  periods  when  no  records  were  kept,  it 
may  be  safely  said,  that  from  its  commencement  to  the  present  time,  the  har- 
bor has  given  sixty  thousand  days'  shelter.  According  to  the  record  for  the 
last  four  years,  twenty-two  vessels  on  an  average,  had  been  lying  in  the  har- 
bor for  each  day.  Sixty  to  seventy  vessels  are  seen  frequently  lying  in  the 
harbor  at  the  same  time,  and  on  one  occasion  the  number  of  vessels  reached 
as  high  as  one  hundred  and  eight.  •  *  •  * 

"  These  works  have  not  yet  been  completed  to  the  extent  of  the  design  thus 
briefly  described.  The  breakwater  is  in  a  course  of  construction  for  862 
yards,  and  the  ice  breaker  for  467  yards.  In  other  respects,  the  design  of 
the  harbor  is  necessarily  incomplete.  The  entrances  at  the  cape,  and  be- 
tween the  two  works,  are  780  yards,  and  455  yards,  respectively,  instead 
of  500  yards  and  350  yards,  as  at  first  contemplated.  It  would  thus  appear 
that  on  the  one  hand  the  breakwater  proper  is  338  yards,  and  the  ice  breaker 
33  yards,  less  ;  and  on  the  other,  that  the  entrance  towards  the  sea  is  280 
yards,  and  that  between  the  works  105  yards,  greater  than  the  plan  called 
for.  In  short,  the  lines  of  protection  are  less,  and  the  entrances  greater,  by 
the  quantities  just  given,  than  were  originally  designed.         •  • 

"  It  is  believed  that  no  plan  has  been  devised  to  correct  the  evils  in  the 
harbor  caused  by  running  ice.    One  is  incideataily  alluded  to  in  the  annual 


.vl-i 


Bear  Mountain  RAilroad.  "\  251 

report  of  1836,  and  the  imperfection  of  it  is  cilearly  demonstrated.  Any 
structure  on  the  course  of  the  current  would  not  afford  protection  against 
running  ice ;  and  one  of  stone  across  the  current  would,  by  impeding  it, 
create  shoals  that  would  injure  if  not  destroy  the  harbor.  The  great  desi- 
deratum is,  to  be  able  to  obstruct  the  ice  without  obstructing  the  free  course 
of  the  current.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  result,  the  application  of  the 
iron  screw  pile  has  been  suggested  in  former  reports  These  piles,  it  is  con- 
ceived, may  be  so  combined  as  to  constitute  a  complete  barrier  against  the 
passage  of  the  floating  ice,  at  the  same  time  that  the  current  is  allowed  to 
flow  in  its  accustomed  course,  and  with  the  same  velocity.  It  is,  in  all  re- 
spects, worthy  of  consideration,  whether  a  fair  experiment,  conducted  with 
liberal  means,  ought  not  to  be  made,  in  order  to  ascertain  clearly  whether 
the  iron  screw  pile  may  not  be  successfully  applied  to  this  purpose.  The 
result,  if  favorable,  would  constitute  an  epoch  in  the  construction  of  ice  har- 
bors, and  would  lead  to  kindred  applications  of  much  importance.  It  is 
With  a  view  to  such  an  experiment,  that  an  item  for  iron  screw  piles  is  in- 
cluded in  the  estimate  of  the  operations  for  the  next  season.  In  using  such 
piles  in  the  formation  of  an  ice  harbor,  they  may  either  form  a  continuous 
work,  composed  of  rows  in  quincunx  order,  or  constitute  piers  at  certain  in- 
tervals, as  may  be  deemed  advisable,  after  proper  investigations.  Under 
any  form  of  combination,  the  piles  should  be  braced  horizontally,  by  bars 
of  iron,  at  low  water  and  at  the  top,  in  order  that  the  shock  caused  by  the 
ice  may  be  sustained,  not  by  one  pile,  but  by  numerous  contiguous  piles. 
In  adopting  the  work  just  described  as  a  remedy  for  the  defect  in  the  harbor 
of  the  Delaware  breakwater,  arising  from  running  ice,  it  should  commence 
at  the  west  end  of  the  ice  breaker,  and  extend  towards  the  shore,  on  the 
shortest  line,  until  the  required  protection  is  gained." 


-'"    •  -.        •■  V  •         BEAR    MOUNTAIN     RAILROAD.   "    -^ 

This  road  penetrates  one  of  the  richest  and  most  extensive  anthracite  coal 
flelds  in  the  State.  The  Bear  valley  coal  basin,  which  will  be  immediately 
opened  by  this  road,  comprises  the  southwestern  termination  of  the  great 
coal  field  surrounding  the  town  of  Pottsvilie.  This  basin  is  about  thirteen 
miles  in  length,  varying  from  two  to  three  miles  in  breadth  and  the  average 
breast  of  the  coal  veins  above  water  level  in  the  two  mountains  forming  the 
sides  of  the  basin,  is  over  one  thousand  feet. 

All  the  varieties  of  anthracite  coal,  red,  white  and  grey  ash,  found  in  the 
Pottsvilie  region,  are  found  here,  and  the  quality  is  in  every  respect  of  the 
most  superior  kind.  ;  <;'      •  v-   -•  ■■  \^: ;  ;>  i^v-  -  k^ix^-i^^.^^-fi'j'.: 

Prof.  Walter  R.  Johnson,  in*  his  report  on  the  Bear  valley  coal  district, 
states  that  this  coal  bears  a  stronger  analogy  to  that  of  Yniscedwyn  in 
Wales,  used  in  Crane's  celebrated  iron  works,  than  any  other  anthracite 
coal  in  Pennsylvania. 

Iron  ore  also  in  abundance  and  of  excellent  quality,  has  been  found  inter- 
vening the  coal  veins.  The  coal  veins  run  lengthwise  of  the  two  moun- 
tains throughout  their  whole  extent,  and  dip  in  each  mountain  under  the  en- 
closed valley,  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees.  They  are  found  al- 
ternating with  coal  slates  and  large  strata  of  sand  stone  and  conglomerate 
rock,  interspersed  with^  occasional  layers  of  iron  ore.     The  annexed  dia- 


,< 


.;;*! 


252 


Bear  Mountain  Railroad. 


i 


gram  exhibits  a  cross  section  of  these  mountains  and  the  position  of  the 
coal  veins.  '  "  *  "^      " 


isa 


The  north,  or  Bear  mountain  is  cut  to  its  base 
by  Rausch  creek,  forming  a  gap,  on  each  side  of 
which,  all  the  veins  can  be  opened ;  and  the  south 
or  Big  Lick  mountain  will  be  penetrated  by  the 
railroad  tunnel  directly  opposite  Rausch  gap,  thus 
opening  all  the  veins  in  that  mountain  in  the  same 
manner. 

By  this  means  every  coal  vein  m  the  entire  re- 
gion will  be  opened  in  the  most  advantageous 
manner  for  working.  It  is  confidently  believed 
that  no  other  coal  region  in  the  world  is  possessed 
of  equal  advantages.  ,'..     .    ^,  .. 

The  height  of  the  mountains  above  the  tunnel, 
and  above  the  grade  line  of  the  road  in  the  gap,  is 
about  eight  hundred  feet,  consequently  the  breast  of 
coal  in  the  veins  outcropping  at  the  summits  of  the 
mountains  is  over  eleven  hundred  feet.  The  tun- 
nel will  cut  across  at  least  fifty  veins  of  good  coal 
varying  in  thickness  from,  four  to  thirty  feet,  and 
besides  these  there  are  not  less  than  thirty  veins  of 
similar  thickness  in  Rausch  gap. 

From  this  it  will  be  perceived  that  even  if  the 
whole  supply  of  coal  for  the  United  States,  was  to 
be  obtained  from  this  region  for  centuries  to  come, 
it  would  not  be  necessary  to  mine  below  water  level 
and  consequently  the  enormous  outlaj'S  for  ma- 
chinery, and  constant  expense  necessary  to  raise 
coal  from  below  water  level,  will  in  this  region  be 
entirely  avoided.  ;•*• . 

The  railroad  tunnel  through  the  southern  coal 
mountain  will  be  about  one  and  a  half  miles  in 
length,  and  of  sufficient  width  for  three  tracks,  the 
centre  track  being  intended  for  the  use  of  locomo- 
tives and  through  trains,  and  the  side  tracks  for  coal 
cars  only. 

It  will  require  about  750  lineal  yards  of  this 
i  -^  .2  tunnel  from  the  south  end  driven  through  solid  rock 
5-|  s  to  reach  the  outside  coal  vein,  and  the  remaining 
-^bi^  distance  will  be  through  coal,  coal  slates,  sandstones, 
I.  tf  °  conglomprate  and  iron  ore.  It  is  intended  to  drive 
^  :rj  about  800  lineal  yards  of  this  tunnel  by  the  time 
S<2  -the  road  is  ready  for  business,  leaving  the  remain- 
P§  ing  portion  of  the  tunnel  to  be  driven  after  the  road 
1  "^r-^  goes  into  operation.  The  tunnel  will  be  cut  on  a 
'  .S  I  grade  descending  towards  the  canal  at  the  same  rate 
as  the  other  portion  of  the  road,  viz.  17^  feet  per  mile,  and  when  the  tun- 
nel is  completed,  the  road  will  be  extended  on  the  same  grade  through 
Rausch  gap.  ■^r* ' 


7ft 


i;3 


■s  -3 


i-J-t  -^-t 


a  2 


\ 


^■».,v.  *. 


..:.i..l 


Bear  Mountain  Railroad. 

s:--^'i  The  form  and  dimensions  of  this  tunnel  are  shown  in  the  following  sec- 
tional drawing. 

SECTION  OF  TUNNEL  THROUGH  BIG  UCK  MOUNTAIN. 


-=-V^ 


From  the  termination  of  the  road  on  the  Pennsylvania  canal  at  Dauphin 

to  tide  water  at  Havre-de-Grace  is  eighty  miles.     The  canal  from  Dauphin 

,   to  Columbia  is  of  the  same  capacity  as  the  Erie  canal,  capable  of  passing 

'   boats  of  from  seventy-five  to  eighty  tons  burthen,  and  the  Tide  Water  canal 

,   from  Columbia  to  Havre-de-Grace  is  of  still  greater  capacity.     Havre-de- 

-  Grace  being  at  the  head  of  Chesapeake  bay,  the  Atlantic  coast  can  be  reach- 

'    ed  from  this  place,  more  readily  than  from  any  other  point  where  anthracite 

coal  is  shipped,  unless  it  be  Delaware  city,  and  to  this  point  the  coal  can  be 

transported  in  the  same  boats  used  on  the  canal. 

It  is  not  the  least  recommendation  of  the  Bear  valley  coal  region,  that  it 

,    will  have  a  very  large  home  consumption,  without  coming  into  competition 

with  the  coal  from  any  other  region,  and  as  the  Bear  mountain  railroad  will 

be  the  only  means  of  transportation  from  these  mines,  it  may  perhaps  escape 

"    the  effects  of  "  incendiary  publications." 

The  coal  from  the  Bear  valley  region  will  have  the  entire  comrnand  of 
.-   the  trade  south  and  west  of  the  mines,  including  the  cities  of  Lancaster, 
■   Baltimore,  Washington,  the  Boroughs  of  Harrisburg,  Columbia,  York, 
Chambersburg,  Carlisle,  Hagerstown  and  the  adjacent  country,  with  its  ex- 
tensive iron  and  other  manufaciuiing  establishments  and  consequently  must 
have  a  certain  trade  of  nearly  300,000  tons  per  annum,  before  coming  into 
competition  with  coal  from  other  districts.     When  in  addition  to  this  we  lake 
into  account  its  proximity  to  the  seaboard,  the  favorable  character  of  its  av- 
enues to  market,  and  the  low  price  at  which  it  can  be  delivered  in  the  At- 
;   iantic  cities,  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  but  that  this  coal  basin  and  the  railroad 
leading  to  it  will  yet  eclipse  all  their  cotemporaries  in  the  magnitude  of  their 
'\    operations.  Ira  Spaulding,   >^ 

Dauphin,  Pa.,  July  1844,  Chief  Engineer,  B.  M.  Railroad. 


264  :>  Utility  of  Wire  Ropes. 

"^  We  published  in  our  June  number  aletter  from  Ira  Spaulding,  Esq.,  chief '"^ 
engineer  of  this  road,  showing  that  a  new  route  had  been  discovered  far 
more  favorable  than  the  one  formerly  contemplated  through  Lykins  valley.  '■' 
It  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  that  letter,  (page  171,  June  No.),  that  a  sa--' 
ving  of  14  miles  in  distance  will  be  effected,  and  that  instead  of  from  a  level" 
to  a  maximum  grade  of  36  feet  per  mile,  they  will  now  have  a  regular  de- '' 
scending  grade  of  about  17  feet  per  mile  from  the  heart  of  the  coal  veint  '^ 
to  the  canal  at  Dauphin,  eight  miles  above  Harrisburg. 

We  now  give  a  further  account  of  this  remarkable  work,  with  illustra-   • 
tions,  showing  the  position  of  the  coal  bed,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  | 
perforated  by  the  railroad  tunnel,  of  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  WhichT 
passes  through  at  least  fifty  veins  of  coal,  of  from  four  to  thirty  feet  in  thick- •^^' 
ness,  at  a  thousand  feet  below  their  outcropping,     A  position  more  favora- 
ble for  working,  it  would  seem  to  us,  could  not  have  been  devised  by  the  •. 
most  ingenious  and  selfish  man — as  it  may  be  led  in  shutes  directly  into  the  ' 
cars — and  the  road  itself,  having  17  feet  fall,  forms  an  ample  drain  to  lead  ." 
off  the  water — thus  avoiding  the  immense  expense  at  many  other  collieries  l?' 
of  raising  the  coal  and  draining  the  mines  by  steam  power.  * 

We  desire  to  make  our    acknowledgments  to  Messrs.    Spaulding  and  "'^ 
Sickles  for  their  remembrance  of  the  Railroad  Journal,  in  laying  the  merits  t-- 
of  their  work  before  the  public.     Wfe  hope  to  hear  from  them  again  soon  ^ 
in  relation  to  their  progress. 

UTILITY   OF   WIRE    ROPES.  '' 

The  following  statement,  from  the  London  Mining  Journal,  in  relation  to. 
the  use  of  wire  ropes  for  coal  mines,  may  be  useful  to  those  in  this  country 
requiring  ropes  for  such  purposes,  or  for  inclined  planes,  as  well  as  our  "^ 
worthy  friend,  Mr.  John  A.  Roebling,  of  Saxonburg,  Pa.,  who  is  engaged  ' 
in  the  manufacture,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  Journal  of  Novem- 
ber last — therefore  we  transfer  it  to  our  pages. 

"  The  question  of  the  comparative  strength  of  hemp  and  wire  ropes  used 
in  the  '  winning'  of  coal,  and,  indeed,  for  every  other  purpose  for  which  rope 
is  applicable,  having  been  frequently  discussed  in  our  columns,  we  have  v 
pleasure  in  complying  with  the  request  of  a  correspondent,  by  inserting  the  ? 
following  communication,  addressed  to  Mr.  Newall,  manufacturer  of  wire  i;  ■ 
rope,  by  so  distinguished  a  colliery  reviewer  as  Mr.  Matthew  Liddell,  dated  J; 
from  Benton  Grange : 

"'Dear  Sir — I  consider  the  followiii?  information  may  be  interesting,  ■ 
and  certainly  goes  far  to  establish  conficrence  in  the  equal  security  of  flat 
wire  ropes  with  those  made  from  hemp,  when  exposed  to  a  sudden  violent 
strain  ;  which,  it  has  been  stated,  would  cause  the  former  to  snap,  or  break. 
On  Monday,  last,  when  employed  in  drawing  coals,  the  breaksman  of  the 
engine,  ^46  horse  power)  on  which  a  pair  of  your  flat  wire  ropes  were  put 
in  June  last,  neglected  to  check  the  engine  on  the  approach  of  the  cage  and 
tubs  to  the  surface  ;  and,  consequently,  the  engine  continued  at  full  speed, 
(the  rope  moving  about  120  fathoms  a  minute),  until  suddenly  stopped  by 
the  cage  coming  into  violent  contact  with  the  pulley.  The  shock  slightly  -, 
displaced  the  pulley  frame,  wi\en  the  rivets  of  the  shackle  which  you  attacn  ' 


Miscellanea.  j,-'"'         .-._;■•  866 

to  the  end  ot  the  rope  where  the  cage  is  hung  on  to  it,  were  drawn  through 
the  strands  of  the  rope,  and  the  cage  and  coals  fell  on  the  '  keeps'  at  the  top 
of  the  pit,  which  prevented  their  falling  down  the  pit,  so  that  the  damage 
done  was  trifling.  I  have  since  then  had  the  wire  rope  examined,  and,  al- 
though the  strain  on  it  must  have  been  very  great  to  stop  the  engine,  yet  it 
does  not  appear  to  have  sustained  any  injury,  and  is,  apparently,  as  good  as 
when  it  was  first  put  on.  Matthew  Liddell: 


J » 


SATJLT   DE   ST.    MARIE    CANAL,    AND    ST.    JOSEPHS   RAILROAD. 

We  have  received,  since  our  July  number  was  put  to  press,  a  communi- 
cation from  the  Hon.  Mr.  Woodbridge,  of  Michigan,  in  relation  to  the  de- 
feat of  the  bills  before  congress  in  aid  of  these  important  works,  accompa- 
nied with  various  documents  of  interest,  in  relation  to  the  Canadian  canals 
and  plank  roads,  together  with  the  annual  report  of  the  board  of  internal 
improvement,  of  Michigan,  for  which  we  desire  to  tender  him  our  thanks. 
We  shall  avail  ourselves  of  their  use,  and  then  dispose  of  them  in  accor- 
dance with  his  directions. 

hunt's   merchants'    magazine.  ^^^^.»i;> -f-.-.t 

This  popular  and  useful  work  was  punctually  on  our  table,  and  is,  as 
usual,  filled  with  useful  information  for  the  business  man ;  and  it  should  be 
on  the  desk  of  every  merchant  in  the  Union,  and  be  read  attentively  by 
every  clerk,  as  well  as  merchant. 

parsons'  locomotive  expansive  apparatus. 
The  following  communication  from  Horatio  Allen,  Esq.,  copied  from  the 
Franklin  Journal,  exposes  one  of  the  numerous  piracies  perpetrated  by  de- 
signing knaves  upon  ingenious  inventors. 

"  Sirs — The  March  number  of  the  Journal  of  the  Franklin  Institute  con- 
tains a  description  of  '  Parsons'  locomotive  expansive  apparatus.'  That 
part  of  the  arrangement  which  provides  an  adjustable  cut-off,  by  the  use  of 
two  slide  valves  attached  to  the  same  rod,  one  by  right  handed,  the  other  by 
left  handed,  screws,  and  the  mode,  adjustment,  etc.,  are  precisely  those  for 
which  I  obtained  letters  patent  in  August,  1841.  The  American  Repertory 
for  December,  1841,  contained  apart  of  my  specification  and  claim. 

"  The  patent  of  Mr.  Parsons  is  dated  December,  1842,  and  vms  enrolled 
in  June,  1843. 

"  The  '  adjustable  cut-off,'  as  my  invention  is  named,  has  been  adopted  on 
an  engine  lately  put  to  work  on  the  railroad  from  Jersey  City  to  New  Bruns- 
wick, to  one  on  the  Long  Island  road,  and  to  engines  building  for  the  Pat* 
terson  road,  and  for  the  Stonington  road. 

"  I  intend  soon  to  send  you  accounts  of  the  performance  of  these  engines, 
which  have  been  very  satisfactory,  and  shall  also  furnish  a  full  description 
of  the  combinations  embraced  in  my  patent.     Yours  respectfully, 

"  New  York,  May  14,  1844.  Horatio  Allen." 

Modt  of  Folating  Large  Stones  for  Building  Sea  Walls  in  Deep  Wa- 
ter.— At  the  meeting  of  the  institute  of  civil  engineers  of  the  12th  March, 
Mr.  Bremner  read  a  paper  describing  the  casks  used  for  floating  the  large 
stones  for  securing  the  foot  of  the  sea  wall  of  Banff"  harbor,  which  had  failwL 
The  casks  were  strongly  built  of  fir  staves,  hooped  externally  with  iron,  and 
supported  inside  by  radiating  bars  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel.     Two  of 


256  V,        MUcetldiiia 

these  casks,  of  445  cubic  feet  capacity  each,  were  use  to  convey  stones  of  30 
tons  weight,  by  passing  two  chain  cables,  which  were  wound  round  them, 
through  the  eyes  of  the  lewises,  which  were  fixed  in  the  stone  at  low  water, 
at  which  time  the  chains  being  hauled  down  tight,  when  the  tide  flowed,  the 
buoyancy  of  the  casks  floated  the  stones,  and  they  were  towed  by  a  boat 
over  the  place  where  the  stone  was  intended  to  be  deposited.  The  lashing 
being  then  cut  away,  the  stone  fell  into  its  seat.  This  method  was  found  to 
succeed  in  weather  that  Avould  have  destroyed  any  crane  barges ;  and  the 
works  of  Banff"  harbor  were  thus  secured  from  further  degradation,  and 
were  subsequently  restored  at  a  comparatively  small  cost. 

Mode  of  making  Looking-glassea,  Mirrors,  etc.,  without  Mercurjf.-^A.  . 
correspondent  (J.  B.  N.)  sends  us  the  following  particulars  of  a  process  by  which  looking 
glasses,  etc.  may  be  silvered  in  the  most  effectual  way  without  the  use  of  mercury ;  he  has 
done  several ;  "  the  most  splendid  mirrors  imaginable."  The  following  is  his  account  of 
the  process : — "  Take  a  little  nitrate  of  silver ;  add  carefully  liquid  ammonia  till  the  preci- 
pitate formed  is  nearly  all  dissolved,  but  not  fully ;  add  a  little  of  this  to  a  mixture  of  al- 
cohol and  oil  of  cassia  ;  the  piece  of  glass  to  be  silvered  is  laid  flat,  with  a  ledging  tied 
round  of  pipe  clay  or  the  like,  exactly  as  if  a  mould  were  to  be  taken ;  upon  the  fr|ass 
pour  the  above  named  mixture  till  it  has  a  depth  of  between  a  q  uarter  and  half  an  inch ; 
then  drop  here  and  there  upon  this  a  mixture  of  oil  of  cloves  and  alcohol ;  a  violent  action 
takes  place  whore  the  drops  fall ;  this  rapidly  spreads,  and  the  whole  surface,  in  the  course 
of  from  a  quarter  to  half  an  hour,  appears  brown  ;  the  liquid  is  now  poured  off,  and  a 
layer  of  silver  is  found  reduced  upon  the  surface  of  the  glass,  forming  a  complete  and 
beautiful  mirror  ready  to  be  framed.  The  chemical  action  is  no  doubt  the  formation  of 
aldehyde  which  reduces  the  silver.  This  process  has  recently  been  made  the  subject  of  a 
patent,  for  which,  I  am  told,  the  firm  of  Rothschild  has  offered  £100,000  for  the  purpose 
of  suppressing  the  discovery,  as  it  may  affect  the  valuable  monopoly  in  mercury  poss^sed 
by  that  house.  The  offer  has  been  refused.  The  name  of  the  patentee,  I  am  informed, 
is  Durant,  of  Brighton."  The  process  of  silvering  by  means  of  aldehyde  was  exhibited 
two  years  ago  at  the  Glasgow  Philosophical  Society,  by  Dr.  Stenhouse. 

Scaffolding. — Two  papers  on  this  subject  were  read  at  the  same  meeting 
of  the  Institution.  The  first  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  T.  Grissell,  in  which  the  author  de- 
scribed the  scaffolding  first  used  by  Mr.  Cubitt  for  the  erection  of  the  facade  of  the  Bir- 
mingham railway  station,  and  which  had  since  been  adopted  for  other  works  with  com- 
plete success.  It  was  stated  to  be  composed  of  sills,  uprights,  cross-heads,  longitudinal 
timbers,  braces  and  struts,  all  of  whole  tunber.  The  upright  timbers  were  slightly  turned 
into  the  horizontal  timbers  with  junctions  secured  by  iron  dogs,  driven  into  the  timbers 
diagonally  across  the  joints,  which  were  preferable  to  bolts  and  spikes,  inasmuch  as  they 
coiud  be  easily  withdrawn,  and  the  timber  was  not  injured.  The  next  paper  on  the  sub- 
ject was  by  M.  Pierre  Joumet,  whose  scaffolding  was  stated  to  consist  of  a  simple  com- 
bination of  a  number  of  brackets,  fixed  at  regular  distances  of  about  five  feet  apart  verti- 
cally, upon  girdles  of  chains  and  screws,'l)raml  tight  round  the  column  under  repair :  upon 
these  brackets  the  platforms  were  laid,  and  as  the  workmen  proceeded  upwards,  the  lower 
brackets  were  alternately  raised  to  the  platforms  above,  where  the  workmen  stood.  The 
progress  thus  made  in  forming,  and  in  taking  down  a  scaffold,  was  stated  to  be  very  rapid, 
with  corresponding  economy  of  time  and  expense ;  no  poles  or  cords  were  used  and  no 
waste  of  material  occurred.  By  these  means  the  -obelisk  of  Luxor,  at  Paris,  was  repaired 
in  a,  very  short  time  and  at  a  very  small  cost.  The  machine  for  raising  building  materials 
consisted  of  an  endless  chain  of  square  open  links,  the  lower  end  revolving  around  a  dri- 
ven wheel,  and  the  upper  end  around  a  corresponding  wheel,  fixed  upon  a  scaffold,  at  the 
height  of  the  building.  The  hods,  buckets  and  baskets  were  each  furnished  with  a  hook 
by  which  they  were  suspended  on  the  rising  side  of  the  chain,  and  when  they  arrived  at  the 
necessary  height  they  were  taken  off  by  laborers,  and  carried  to  the  spot  where  the  mate- 
rials were  to  be  used ;  when  empty  they  were  hung  upc»i  the  descending  side  of  the  chun 
and  lowered  to  be  again  filled. 

CONTENTS: 

Page-  If^Vt- 

Atmocpheric  railway,  226<De]aware  breakwater, 

Qtbrgia  railroad  report,  246 

Iron  revmae  >t«amei  on  lakf  Bii«>  249 


Bear  Mountain  railroM}  SM 

UtUitT  of  wire  rop«%  '^V.i-'-  "" 


'""■''''"'  ^^^■•^- >-:  ^ ,  ••         AMERICAN    ''^:::Qa  -: 

*    RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 

>;  -      MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE. 


PttblMbed  Monthly  at  23  Chamber».$t.  New  York,  ?  S  «    ir    vncnn    uj  . 

at  92  a-year,  in  advance,  or  3  copies  for  «6.       J  |  D.  K.  MINOR,  Editor. 

'T^i^^L'-  i        >'       SEPTEMBER,  1844.  V        T'^^xW:^ 

"'L;>        ;:■-■;  THE    ATMOSPHERIC    RAILWAY. 

Evidence  given  before  a  Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons.  ;-    .    ■ 

Mr.  B.irry  Gibbons,  engineer  of  the  Dublin  and  Kingstown  railway,  ex- 
amined :  Trains  propelled  on  the  atmospheric  principle  started  and  stepped 
more  easily,  and  with  less  loss  of  time,  than  those  with  locomotive  power. 
The  atmospheric  principle  on  the  Dalkey  line,  compared  with  the  expense 
of  other  lines,  as  to  haulage,  was  much  cheaper  than  the  locomotive.  The 
maintenance  of  way  was  less  favorable  in  a  newly  opened  line  than  on  an 
old  one.  Taking  the  cost  of  haulage  on  the  locomotive  line  of  the  Dubliu 
and  Kingstown,  according  to  the  published  accounts  of  the  company,  the 
cost  of  locomotive  power  on  that  line  was  10  Q-lOd.  per  train  per  mile. 
The  maintenance  of  way  was  3  1-lOd  making  a  total  of  I4<i.  The  cost 
of  moving  power  on  the  atmospheric  principle  was  7  \-\0d.  and  the  main- 
tenance of  way  1  3-10<2.  Could  distinguish  the  wear  and  tear  o(  rails  on 
a  locomotive  line  in  the  space  of  six  weeks.  In  the  estimate  of  \Ad.  there 
was  an  allowance  made  for  wear  and  tear  of  rails.  In  the  atmospheric 
there  was  no  parallel  allowance  for  the  pipe.  Believed,  though  there  were 
great  curves  on  the  line,  that  there  was  no  wear  and  tear  of  the  pipe,  and 
DO  centrifugal  friction.  The  wear  and  tear  of  the  pipe  would  not  require 
an  expenditure  for  fifty  years.  It  became  perfectly  polished  inside,  owing 
to  the  tallow.  In  going  round  sharp  curves  on  a  locomotive  line,  the  inside 
of  the  rail  is  worn  away  by  the  flange  of  the  wheel.  Did  not  make  any 
allowance  in  the  estimate  for  wear  and  tear  of  rails  on  an  atmospheric  line, 
because  it  was  inappreciable.  In  the  item  for  haulage,  witness  debitted 
wear  and  tear  to  the  atmospheric  railway,  which  would  take  place  in  the 
stationary  engines,  and  included  coals  consumed,  wear  of  machinery,  and 
persons  employed  in  the  engine  house.  The  cost  of  coals  was  1/.  4s.  %d. 
per  day  ;  wages  12s. ;  wear  and  tear,  oil.  etc.  6s.  If  the  Dalkey  line  were 
longer,  the  expense  would  be  less  Had  laid  out  an  extension  of  it  to  Bray, 
six  miles,  and  an  engine  would  work  at  both  places.  There  would  be 
more  consumption  of  coal,  but  at  less  per  train  per  mile.  Paid  Messrs.  Sa- 
muda  for  the  construction  of  the  line,  and  their  estimate  was  not  exceeded 
by  \d.  Their  promises  as  to  load  carried,  and  velocity  attained,  had  been 
perfectly  accomplished.  They  entered  into  a  contract  to  carry  trains  of  ^6 
tons  at  30  miles  an  hour,  and  had  performed  it  at  double  that  rate.  The 
Dublin  and  Kingstown  was  a  very  cheap  line,  and  the  low  fares  had  in- 


258  On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

creased  the  passengers  enormously.     The  trains  had  been  increased  from 
time  to  time,  and  there  had  been  a  corresponding  number  of  passengers.     It 
induced  a  system  of  country  residence.     They  estimated  that  every  new 
house  built  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  station  was  20/.  added  to  the  annual 
receipts.     There  were  four  stations  on  the  six  miles.     The  fares  were  1»., 
8rf.,  and  (id.,  but  there  was  a  reduction  to  families  of  5,  10  and  20  per  cent. 
The  average  fare  was  something  under  Id.     The  fares  on  the  Dalkey  were 
Hd.  and  3^.     They  would  pay  at  that.     The  company  received  45/.  on  last 
Sunday,  which  would  represent  4500  persons.     The  increase  in  traffic  on 
the  Kingstown  railway  was  not  so  much  to  be  attributed  to  reduction  of 
fares  as  to  the  frequency  of  the  trains.     The  coals  consumed  by  the  engine 
on  the  atmospheric  line  were  35  cwL  per  day,  which  would  keep  it  work- 
ing from  8  A.  M.  to  6  P.  M.  at  intervals.     Witness  reckoned  a  daily  mile- 
age allowance  for  wear  and  tear  of  piston  of  4rf.  per  day.  *One  set  of  pis- 
ton leathers,  costing  16i ,  worked  a  fortnight.     The  rails  on  the  atmospher- 
*ic  line  were  521b.  per  yard  weight.     Had  examined  the  pipe,  and  could  find 
no  lateral  pressure  made  by  the  tube  on  the  piston.     The  straightforward 
movement  of  the  piston  counteracted  the  centrifugal  force  of  the  curve  ;  but 
witness  did  not  think  that  the  piston  had  ever  been  brought  into  operation  to 
prevent  the  carriages  going  off  the  line.     If  it  had  ever  exerted  such  a  force 
there  would  have  been  some  indication  of  it  on  the  pipe.     The  atmospheric 
carriagos  were  15  cvvt.,  or  a  ton  light^^an  the  locomotive.      Witness's  es- 
timate for  maintenance  on  the  locomotive  line  was  for  a  double,  the  estimate 
for  the  atmospheric  for  only  a  singl^  line.     Had  made  the  experiment  of 
stopping  the  trains  almost  instantaneously,  and  had  brought  up  a  train  to  a 
dead  rest,  travelling  at  40  miles  an  hour,  within  220  yards.     There  were  7 
carriages,  and  78  persons  in  them.     The  weight  of  the  rails  on  the  Kings- 
town and  those  on  the  Dalkey  was  precisely  the  same.     The  calculation 
given  by  witness  of  7«/.  for  haulage  on  the  atmospheric,  was  only  for  one 
way.     If  worked  backwards  and  forwards  as  a  locomotive,  it  would  be  i4d. ; 
but  the  trains  came  back  by  their  own  gravity,  and  therefore  cost  nothing. 
Were  the  line  on  a  level,  the  cost  would  have  to  be  doubled. 

Mr.  I.  K.  Brunei,  C.  E.,  examined :  Had  been  consulted  on  the  expedi- 
ency of  working  the  proposed  Croydon  and  Epsom  on  the  atmospheric  sys- 
tem, and  had  considered  its  application  thereto  very  fully.     Thought  that 
the  adoption  of  the  atmospheric  plan  was  well  adapted  for  the  working  of 
the  proposed  line.     Taking  all  things  into  consideration,  the  trains  could  be 
conveyed  in  a  shorter  time  by  it  than  by  the  ordinary  locomotive  engine, 
and  with  greater  frequency.     Where  the  trains  were  not  very  numerous, 
could  understand  that  the  working  expenses  would  be  less  by  locomotive 
power  than  by  a  fixed  engine.     In  a  great  number  of  cases  it  would  be  the 
reverse ;  the  working  expenses  would  be  reduced  by  the  atmospheric  prin- 
ciple, assuming  that  a  great  many  trains  would  run.     The  prevailing  gra- 
-  dients  on  the  Epsom  line  were  1  in  100,  which  he  thought  applicable  to  a 
line  with  a  view  to  economy  in  working.     The  diagrams  of  Mr.  Samuda, 
as  to  the  manner  of  working  the  trains  might  be  worked  with  frequency 
:  and  safety.     There  was  a  point  where  expensive  locomotive  power  would 
"'  become  more  economical  than  stationary  power,   if  the  number  of  trains 
were  very  much  reduced.     Thought  that  the  atmospheric  train  oould  be 
propelled  much  faster  than  is  done  at  present.     Had  no  reason  to  doubt  but 
^  that  trains  might  go  at  a  speed  of  50  and  60  miles  an  hour.     Had  gone  at 
'  60  on  a  locomotive,  and  thought  a  train  might  go  easier  and  at  a  higher 
rale  by  the  atmospheric  than  by  the  locomotive  engine.     It  had  greater 
speed  than  the  locomotivet     It  possessed  the  advantage  over  the  latter  of 


On  the  Atmosj^rie  System.   '■■:  869 

■terting  at  once  into  a  state  of  motion  from  a  state  of  rest.  This  was  a 
great  advantage  where  there  were  many  stations,  as  contemplated  in  the 
£psom  line.  On  the  Great  Western  they  found  that  it  was  six  to  eight 
miles  from  the  station  before  they  got  into  a  good  maximum  rate  of  running ; 
therefore  it  was  only  on  a  long  distance  from  London  to  Slough  that  they 
did  attain  their  full  velocity.  With  respect  to  the  atmospheric  attaining  a 
velocity  of  50  miles  an  hour,  it  would  depend  entirely  on  the  power,  the 
size  of  the  pipe,  and  the  degree  of  vacuum.  Did  not  see  any  difficulty  in 
their  getting  it  at  the  end  of  2^  or  3  miles.  Had  no  doubt  but  that  if  they 
chose  to  put  on  the  power,  they  might  obtain  it  at  1  mile  or  ]  i-  When 
witness  saw  the  line  at  Dalkey,  it  was  not  laid  in  a  manner  which  admitted 
of  a  very  high  velocity.  Did  not  think  it  safe  when  he  made  the  experi- 
ments to  go  higher  than  40  miles.  The  derangement  of  the  rails,  and  the 
difficulty  of  keeping  the  railway  in  perfect  order,  arose  from  the  weight  of 
the  locomotive  engines,  and  the  mode  of  working  them  on  the  rails.  Wit- 
ness's object  in  making  the  experiments  at  Dalkey  was  to  satisfy  his  own 
mind,  with  a  view  to  govern  him  in  advising  others.  The  results  of  these 
experiments  were,  that  he  found  they  could  attain  a  high  velocity  on  the 
line  in  a  short  time,  so  as  even  to  attain  the  rate  of  50  miles  an  hour. 
Found  that  the  mechanical  part  of  the  apparatus  and  valve  was  even  then 
in  a  good  working  condition,  and  saw  enough  to  satisfy  his  mind  that  it 
could  be  rendered  still  more  perfect.  Found  that  a  weight  was  moved  at  a 
good  velocity  of  22  miles  an  hour — a  weight  fully  as  great  as  that  due  to 
the  free  effect  of  the  vacuum  in  the  piston.  Satisfied  himself  that  there  was 
no  amount  of  friction  or  leakage  round  the  piston,  nor  other  mechanical  de- 
fects, which  would  prevent  getting  the  full  effect  of  the  vacuum.  Was  con- 
firmed in  the  opinion  that  a  mechanical  contrivance  of  that  sort  could  be 
worked,  so  as  to  produce  that  effect  at  a  less  cost  than  the  ordinary  mode  of 
applying  power  by  a  locomotive.  Had  in  consequence  of  these  experiments 
advised  the  promoters  of  the  Croydon  and  Epsom  to  adopt  the  atmospheric. 
Had  no  doubt  that  an  atmospheric  railway  might  be  made  more  comfortable 
to  passengers  than  a  locomotive,  which  was  one  of  the  great  advantages  to 
be  derived  from  it.  Thought  that  the  rails  might  be  kept  in  much  more 
perfect  order  than  with  locomotive  carriages ;  and  that  carriages  might  be 
constructed  in  a  totally  different  manner  from  those  now  in  use.  The  mo- 
tion would  be  smooth  and  noiseless.  There  was  also  the  absence  of  coke 
dust  from  the  chimney.  With  respect  to  the  expeiiiments  of  stopping  trains, 
thought  that  on  a  railway  worked  by  stationary  power,  whether  atmospher- 
ic or  other,  the  power  of  stopping  was  greater  than  it  was  on  a  locomotive 
line.  The  power  to  be  overcome  in  stopping  a  train  arose,  not  from  the 
power  of  friction,  but  from  the  momentum  of  the  train,  which,  at  40  miles 
an  hour,  would  be  10  or  15  times  as  great  as  the  power  of  traction  that 
could  be  produced  for  a  distance  of  250  yards ;  and  therefore  in  stopping  a 
train  at  a  short  distance  of  250  yards,  what  they  had  to  think  of  was  the 
momentum  of  the  train.  Did  not  think  that  the  reversing  of  the  engine  at 
all  equalled  the  advantage  that  might  be  derived  from  breaks  or  slides,  such 
.  as  those  Mr.  Cubitt  spoke  of  on  carriages  on  the  atmospheric  line.  The 
reversal  of  an  engine  for  stopping  a  train  did  not  produce  so  much  effect  as 
might  be  supposed.  On  the  Great  Western  they  never  reversed ;  but  the 
break  in  the  tender  stopped  the  train  at  high  velocities.  Had  calculated  the 
power  of  the  engine  at  Dalkey.  In  a  commercial  point  of  view,  Mr.  Sa- 
muda's  mode  of  calculating  was  correct  The  power  on  the  atmospheric 
railway  had  a  facility  for  adapting  itself  to  the  load.  That  was  a  great  ad- 
vantage.   Where  the  gradients  were  steep  they  could  apply  more  power. 


260  On  the  AtfuPfpi^nc^iSjtf tent.  t 

Assuming  even  that  the  pipe  was  not  of  the  same  size  everywhere,  at  one 
small  steep  part  of  the  line  they  might  work  a  vacuum  up  to  18  or  20 
inches  of  mercury,  which  would  not  be  so  economical  as  working  it  at  14 
or  16  inches.  Still,  for  a  short  part  of  the  line,  they  could  do  so  ;  whereas 
on  the  rest  of  the  line  they  might  work  at  the  more  economical  pressure  of 
14  to  16  inches  of  mercury.  With  respect  to  the  variation  of  the  work, 
according  to  the  variation  in  the  weight  of  the  train,  of  course  any  engine 
working  expansively,  and  well  constructed,  would  adapt  itself  to  the  weight 
of  the  train  ;  and  the  cost  of  working  the  engine  would  be  somewhat  pro- 
portional to  the  weight.  Was  so  satisfied  of  the  advantage  of  the  atmos- 
pheric, that  he  had  proposed  to  adopt  it  on  the  line  (26  miles)  he  was  now 
surveying  from  Croydon  to  Chatham.  An  advantage  of  the  atmospheric 
was,  that  when  a  train  stopped  at  the  station,  the  power  for  propelling  was 
accumulating  in  the  pipe,  so  as  to  bring  the  train  more  rapidly  into  motion 
from  the  state  of  rest.  Witness's  preference  of  the  atmospheric  was  limited 
to  cases  where  the  passage  of  trains  was  required  to  be  frequent.  Had  no 
hesitation  in  saying,  that  if  the  two  lines  now  before  the  committee  were  to 
be  worked  by  locomotive  power,  the  Southwestern  would  be  the  cheapest 
and  safest;  but  if  the  atmospheric  were  applied,  it  could  be  done  cheaper 
by  the  Croydon  and  Epsom.  Had  no  doubt  but  that  the  atmospheric  upon 
a  single  line,  where  everything  was  adapted  to  it,  was  much  safer  than  a  lo- 
comotive on  a  single  line  with  double  power.  The  atmospheric  might  be 
so  managed  that  no  carelessness  could  produce  a  collision  ;  but  it  was  im- 
possible on  a  locomotive  line  to  prevent  one  train  catching  or  meeting 
another.  Thought  that  the  leakage  could  safely  be  neglected.  Did  not 
think  that  any  experiments  which  had  yet  been  made  would  enable  a  correct 
calculation  to  be  made  of  the  amount  of  power  required  to  overcome  the 
leakage.  He  spoke  guardedly  and  carefully,  inasmuch  as  he  was  express- 
ing an  opinion  adverse  to  that  of  his  friend,  Mr.  R.  Stephenson,  whose  re- 
port he  had  seen.  Thought  there  was  no  difficulty  in  constructing  car- 
riages in  the  manner  stated  by  Mr.  Cubitt,  by  bringing  them  at  once  on 
slides  or  sledges,  or  by  locking  all  the  wheels  of  one  entire  train,  which, 
now  that  they  used  steel  tires,  he  should  not  be  afraid  of  doing.  Thought 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  at  all  in  keeping  the  atmospheric  railway  in 
such  good  order  that  the  carriages  might  be  better  constructed  and  connect- 
ed one  with  another,  so  that  the  break  might  be  made  to  act  in  the  whole  at 
once.  There  had  lately  been  introduced  a  new  mode  of  valve-gearing, 
which  facilitated  the  adapuition  of  engines  to  the  load.  The  practical  effect 
of  the  expansive  gear  was  rather  to  put  larger  cylinders  on  the  engine,  and 
to  work  economically,  than  to  vary  the  power  much,  because  the  variation 
of  power  between  shutting  off  the  steam  was  not  very  great.  The,  sole  ob- 
ject of  this  improvement  was,  by  the  use  of  a  rather  larger  cylinder  than 
was  necessary  to  enable  the  steam  to  be  used  expansively,  and  thereby  ob- 
tain economy  of  fuel.  Was  among  the  first  to  use  the  expansive  gear  on 
the  Great  Western,  but  had  no  such  object  as  the  saving  of  steam  in  goinw 
down  an  incline,  in  order  to  reserve  it  for  use  in  going  up  an  incline.  Had 
advised  a  line  between  Chatham  and  Croydon  to  be  laid  down  on  that  prin- 
ciple, and  also  between  Genoa  and  Turin,  which  was  over  a  steep  part  of 
the  Apennines.  Witness  wished  to  be  allowed  to  explain  himself  more 
particularly  on  one  point,  as  he  was  now  giving  an  opinion  professionally, 
and  more  pssrticularly  as  a  report  had  just  been  published  by  an  eminent — 
probably  the  most  eminent — man  in  his  own  profession,  in  which  a  strong 
opinion  was  expressed  on  all  these  points  diametrically  opposite  to  those 
which  he  entertained.     He  sWld  vrjsh  it  to  be  understood  that  he  was  not 


* 
% 


On  the  Atmospheric  System.  361 

carelessly  giving  any  opinion  now  without  recollecting  that  circumstance, 
and  he  should,  in  his  own  vindication,  repeat  the  object  of  his  making  the 
experiments  at  Dalkey,  and  also  say,  with  sentiments  of  much  respect  for 
Mr.  Robert  Stephenson,  that  he  still  thought  it  possible  to  form  a  more  cor- 
rect opinion  on  this  particular  case  by  a  general  practical  view  of  the  work- 
ing of  the  Dalkey  line,  and  of  the  modiHcations  of  which  it  was  susceptible 
when  applied  to  longer  lines,  than  by  the  very  minute  calculations  and  mi- 
nute experiments  recited  in  Mr.  Stephenson's  report.  In  the  first  place,  the 
Dalkey  line  was  too  short,  and,  he  must  say,  loo  badly  constructed,  owing 
to  local  difficulties,  to  allow  either  velocity  to  be  attained  or  the  train  to  be 
worked,  with  ordinary  average  resistance.  Believed  that  resistance  upon 
that  line  was  much  greater  than  it  was  on  a  good  railway,  and  that  there 
were  sources  of  great  loss  of  power  in  the  connecting  pipe  and  other  parts 
which,  according  to  his  opinion  as  a  mechanical  man,  might  be  easily  re- 
medied and  overcome.  •  ••  T  ^i; '^  .;    -t    v-'tv 

Mr.  R.  Stephenson's  objections  will  be  found  sul)stantlally  in  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  his  report,  for  which,  as  well  as  for  the  preceding  abstract 
we  are  indebted  to  the  Railway  Chronicle. 

,*'  My  first  impression  was  that  much  higher  velocities  were  attainable  by 
the  atmospheric  system  than  had  yet  been  accomplished  by  locomotive  en- 
gines;  but  a  very  careful  reflection  upon  all  the  circumstances  which  the 
last  series  of  experiments  developed  and,  the  detailed  calculations  which 
have  been  made  upon  them,  has  led  me  to  alter  that  impression.  I  am  ful- 
ly aware  that  the  calculations  which  have  been  given  do  not  absolutely  put 
a  limit  to  the  speed,  and  that  the  investigation  may  resolve  itself  merely 
into  a  question  of  power,  and  consequently  into  one  of  expense ;  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  this  is  the  case,  but  an  inquiry  of  this  kind,  which  is  as  essen- 
tially commercial  as  scientific,  is  one  in  which  pecuniary  limits  must  con- 
tinually present  themselves,  and  not  unfrequently  prove  more  formidable 
than  those  of  a  mechanical  nature.  In  pursuing  my  calculations,  therefore 
I  have  felt  that  it  was  imperative  to  determine  with  some  accuracy  the  pro- 
bable additional  power  which  it  would  be  necessary  to  reckon  upon,  beyond 
that  which  has  been  employed  at  Kingstown  ;  and  I  am  convinced  the  in- 
crease which  has  been  stated  as  requisite  to  attain  the  assumed  velocity  of 
60  miles  per  hour  is  rather  under  than  over  estimated ;  and  this  single  ex- 
ample, based  as  it  is  entirely  upon  experimental  data,  is  sufficient,  in  my 
opinion,  to  demonstrate  conclusively,  that  any  velocity  beyond  that  which 
is  now  frequently  attained  upon  railways,  must  be  attended  with  a  most  m- 
ordinate  waste  of  power.  I  have  already  contrasted  the  actual  velocities  of 
the  trains  with  those  which  would  be  indicated  by  theory,  and  have  shown 
that  the  loss  of  velocity  arises  solely  from  the  leakage  of  the  apparatus, 
and  that  as  the  rarefaction  is  increased  this  content  of  leakage  becomes  aug- 
mented, while  the  pump  is  only  capable  of  exhausting  a  constant  content 
of  air  without  reference  to  the  density.  This  i-eads  us  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  when  the  barometer  rises  to  \jithin  n  few  inches  of  its  utmost 
height,  the  expansion  of  the  air  leaking  into  the  apparatus  must  become 
fully  equal  to  the  total  capacity  of  the  pump,  and  no  advance  of  the  tube 
piston  can  be  effected.     The  case  occurs  on  the  Kingstov^n  and   Etelkey 

railway,  with  a  height  of  barometer  of  25^  inches,  which  is  the  maximum 

height  that  can  be  attained  in  the  entire  length  of  the  vacuum  tube ;  arid 
therefore  a  train  requiring  this  height  of  barometer  could  not  be  started  if 
the  air  pump  did  not  exceed  its  uniform  rate,  although  the  engine  would  be 

working  at  almost  its  greatest  power.     This  conclusion,  which  is  unques- 


■^■^■i- 


On  the  Atmospheric  System.  ! 

tionably  correct,  points  out  the  improvident  expenditure  of  power  wlien  t 
high  degree  of  rarefaction  is  required." 

Having  thus  removed  the  great  claim  made  by  the  inventors  to  the  ex- 
clusive enjoyment  of  high  velocities,  Mr.  Stephenson  next  proceeds  to  com- 
pare the  work  actually  done  by  the  atmospheric  system  on  the  Dalkey  line 
with  the  work  actually  done  by  stationary  power  and  rope  system,  as  now 
in  use  at  Camden-town.  The  comparison  is  fair,  in  this  respect,  that  thd 
Camden-tovvn  incline  is  1  in  106,  and  the  Dalkey  incline  is  1  in  115  be- 
ing in  favor  of  the  atmospheric ;  only  there  are  sharp  curves  on  the  lat- 
ter, which  do  not  exist  on  the  former.  The  results  of  the  comparison  may 
be  arranged  under  several  heads,  as  follows : — 

1.  Loss  of  power  by  rope  and  atmospheric  tube : — 
"  In  proceeding  to  compare  with  these  the  results  of  the  experiments  on 

the  atmospheric  railway,  it  is  my  object  to  select  a  case  in  each,  which  shall 
present  the  closest  analogy  in  the  amount  of  their  resistances  and  velocity. 
The  4th  train  in  table  No.  VII,  and  the  18th  in  table  No.  V,  correspond 
very  closely  in  these  particulars,  the  total  resistance  of  the  former,  including 
the  friction,  gravity,  and  resistance  of  atmosphere,  being  equal  to  102  horses' 
power,  and  of  the  latter,  100  horses'  power,  and  the  respective  velocities 
being  20  and  18  miles  per  hour.  The  loss  of  power  from  the  working  of 
the  rope  in  the  former  case  is  equal  to  30  per  cent,  of  the  total,  while  the 
loss  in  the  latter,  arising  from  raising  the  vacuum,  leakage,  and  imperfec- 
tions of  the  apparatus,  amounts  to  74  per  cent,  of  the  total  power.  In  order 
however,  to  institute  a  correct  comparison  between  these  two  cases,  the  total 
power  in  the  former  must  be  increased  in  the  proportion  of  the  mean  to  the 
maximum  velocity,  which  in  this  instance  is  ascertained,  from  experiment* 
made,  to  add  37  horses'  power  to  the  total,  and  the  comparison  stands  thus : 
the  loss  of  power  on  the  Euston  incline  amounts  to  45  per  cent.,  while  that 
on  the  Kingstown  and  Dalkey  railway  is  74  per  cent.  The  result  is  ob- 
tained with  a  train  which  represents  the  average  working  of  the  Euston  in- 
cline ;  it  is  therefore  evident  that  in  this  particular  instance  the  rope  is  very 
considerably  more  economical  than  the  atmospheric  system.  If  we  assume 
other  weights  of  train,  we  shall  perceive,  that  as  they  become  lighter  the 
proportion  of  loss  by  the  atmospheric  apparatus  will  be  diminished  on  ac- 
count of  the  reduction  in  the  efTect  of  leakage  accompanying  the  reduction 
in  pressure,  but  the  proportion  of  loss  by  the  rope  will  be  increased,  as  the 

Eower  required  to  work  the  rope  itself  is  the  same  with  a  light  as  with  a 
eavy  train  ;  Avhile  on  the  other  hand,  with  heavier  trains  the  proportion 
of  loss  by  the  rope  will  be  diminished,  and  that  by  the  atmospheric  system 
greatly  augmented,  from  the  increased  effect  of  the  leakage,  and  the  addi- 
tional power  required  to  raise  the  vacuum  to  a  greater  height." 

2.  Consumption  of  fuel  by  the  rope  system  and  the  tube  system  com-' 
pared : — 

"  This  I  am  enabled  to  accomplish  from  the  observation  of  a  fortnight's 
working  of  the  Euston  incline,  and  from  an  experiment  on  the  Kingstown 
and  Dalkey  railway,  in  which  tffe  number  of  trains,  the  exact  weight  of 
each,  and  the  consumption  of  fuel,  was  ascertained  during  an  eutire  day. 
The  result  of  the  former  was,  that  13  trains  averaging  41  tons  each,  the 
mean  resistance  of  which  amounted  to  1590  lb.,  were  drawn  up  the  incline 
of  091  mile  length,  at  a  mean  velocity  of  about  17  miles  per  hour,  in  one 
day  of  15  hours,  with  a  consumption  of  30  cwt.  of  coal ;  and  the  result  of 
the  latter  was  that  10  trains  averaging  44  tons  each,  the  mean  resistance  of  ■ 
which  amounted  to  1205  lb.,  were  drawn  up  the  incline  of  122  milee 


if-i      ^1  •I'li-arfM  >'A>i-^   iih  ^^i-^ightijihi?' 


On  tht  Atmospheric  System.  J563 

length,  at  a  mean  velocity  of  about  14  miles  per  hour,  in  one  day  of  eight 
hours,  with  a  consumption  of  29  cwt.  of  coal.  The  consumption  of  coal 
per  mile  of  the  trains  in  these  two  cases  amounts  to  284  lb.  on  the  Euston 
incline,  and  266  lb.  at  Kingstown  ;  and  dividing  these  by  their  respective 
amounts  of  friction  and  gravity,  we  obtain  the  comparative  consumption  per 
lb.  of  tractive  force  as  18  lb.  in  the  former  case,  and  21  lb.  in  the  latter." 
N  3.  Power  of  overcoming  bad  gradients : — 
*4  "  If  we  take  some  of  the  trains  which  are  dra^vn  up  the  Euston  incline, 
amounting  to  fully  100  tons  weight,  we  shall  find  that  the  total  resistance 
exceeds  the  capacity  of  the  tube  which  is  employed  at  Kingstown,  namely, 
15  inches  diameter ;  for  supposing  the  pressure  to  be  equal  to  22  inches 
height  of  the  barometer,  or  11  lb.  per  square  inch,  the  train  just  named 
upon  the  gradient  of  1  in  75,  which  is  near  the  upper  end  of  the  Eu?ton 
incline,  and  continues  for  about  one-third  of  its  length,  would  offer  a  resist- 
ance, at  a  velocity  of  17  miles  per  hour,  of  about  4,500  lb.,  and  would 
therefore  require  a  tube  of  23  inches  diameter.  Such  an  increase  of  tube, 
it  must  be  observed,  immediately  implied  a  great  reduction  of  velocity  with 
the  atmospheric  system,  or  an  increased  size  of  air  pump,  involving  a  cor- 
responding increase  of  power,  because  the  ratio  between  the  areas  of  the 
air  pump  and  vacuum  tube  is  affected ;  and  it  has  been  clearly  shown  that, 
working  at  a  high  vacuum  in  a  small  tube,  or  increasing  the  size  of  the 
tube  and  lowering  the  vacuum,  if  the  same  amount  of  power  be  employed, 
involves  equally  the  sacrifice  of  velocity.  Here  we  perceive  a  decided 
proof,  that  what  is  termed  good  gradients  is  not  a  matter  of  indifference  to 
the  atmospheric  system,  and  that  we  shall  not  be  justified  in  attributing  to  it 
the  power  of  economising  the  construction  of  railways  to  any  considerable 
extent,  by  avoiding  the  necessity  of  levelling  the  face  of  the  country." 

The  comparison  with  the  locomotive,  even  in  duty  alone,  is  also  of  a  kind 
unfavorable  to  it,  keeping  out  of  view  altogether  the  peculiar  disadvantages 
of  stationary  as  compared  with  locomotive  power.    The  result  is  rs  follows: 

"  If  we  convert  the  loads  moved  in  the  experiments  into  equivalent  loads 
on  a  level,  we  shall  then  find  that  in  no  case  they  exceed  the  duty  which  is 
being  daily  performed  by  locomotive  engines.  Thus,  taking  experiment 
No.  4,  the  load  being  26  5  tons,  the  resistance  per  ton  upon  an  incline  of  1 
in  1 15,  at  a  velocity  of  34  7  miles  per  hour,  estimating  the  resistance  of  the 
atmosphere  according  to  Lardner's  experiments  previously  referred  to,  will 
stand  thus — gravity,  20  lb.  per  ton  ;  friction,  10  lb. ;  atmosphere,  20  lb. : 
total  resistance,  50  lb.  per  ton.  And  the  resistance  upon  a  level  will  be — 
friction,  10  lb.  per  ton  ;  atmosphere,  20  lb. :  total  resistance,  30  lb.  per  ton. 
Therefore  this  train  of  26  5  tons,  on  the  incline  of  1  in  115,  will  be  equiv- 
alent to  44  tons  upon  a  level,  at  the  same  speed  of  347  miles  per  hour. 
This  duty,  which  is  indisputably  the  utmost  given  by  the  experiments  at 
Kingstown,  is  much  exceeded  daily  on  many  lines  of  railway  in  this  coun- 
try, and  especially  by  the  Great  Western,  and  Northern  and  Eastera 
Throughout  the  experiments,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  duty  performed  by  the 
Kingstown  and  Dalkey  engine,  when  reduced  to  an  equivalent  level,  falls 
short  of  the  daily  performance  of  locomotive  engines  on  our  principal  lines 
of  railway,  both  as  regards  speed  and  load." 

The  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter,  considered  as  a  purely  mechanical 
question,  is  given  in  the  following  sentences : — 

"  On  a  long  series  of  bad  gradients,  extending  over  several  miles,  where 
the  kind  of  traffic  is  such  that  it  is  essential  to  avoid  intermediate  stoppages, 
the  atmospheric  system  would  be  the  most  expedient.  If,  however,  inter- 
mediate stoppages  are  not  objectionable,  as  is  the  case  in  the  conveyance  of 


iMM  On  the  Atmospkerie  System.  | 

heavy  goods  and  mineral  trains  on  the  railways  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  the  application  of  the  rope  is  preferable  to  the  atmos* 
pheric  system.  This  conclusion  I  conceive  to  be  fully  established  by  the 
comparison  which  has  been  made  between  the  Kingstown  and  Euston  in- 
clines. Again,  on  lines  of  railway  where  moderate  gradients  are  attaina- 
ble  at  a  reasonable  expense,  the  locomotive  engine  is  decidedly  superior,  both 
as  regards  power  and  speed,  to  any  results  developed  or  iikei'y  to  be  de> 
veloped  by  the  atmospheric  system.  In  considering  these  last,  as  well  as 
all  the  preceding  calculations  and  remarks,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
they  have  reference  solely  to  the  question  of  power,  and  are  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  the  question  of  expense  or  convenience :  the  next  step  in  the  in- 
quiry will  therefore  be,  the  expense  of  constructing  the  lines  on  each  system 
and  the  probable  cost  of  working." 

Hitherto  the  question  has  been  treated  wholly  as  one  respecting  the  value 
of  a  given  mechanical  means  of  transmitting  power. 

There  remain  to  be  considered  the  questions  of  co5<  And  convenience; 
and  here,  as  well  as  throughout  the  whole  line  of  argument,  there  will  be 
observed  a  close  analogy  between  the  results  and  reasonings  of  Mr.  Steph- 
enson's report  and  those  in  pp.  102,  103  of  our  last,  already  referred  to. 

The  inventors  of  this  system,  in  vaunting  its  excellence,  rely  much  on 
the  supposed  advantage  of  being  able  to  work  with  single  lines.  This  Mr. 
S.  completely  refutes:  he  proves  the  necessitj',  not  only  of  two  lines,  but  of 
duplicate  engines.  This  raises  the  cost  of  the  atmospheric  to  £ll,0iOO  per 
mile ;  so  that  on  such  a  line  as  the  London  and  Birmingham,  the  total  cost, 
in  all  items,  for  locomotive  power,  is  -  •  -     £321,974 

and  for  the  atmospheric,  ....  1,221,000 

But  even  the  expense  of  working,  after  all  this  greater  expenditure  of 
capital,  is  against  the  atmospheric. 

The  cost  of  locomotive  power  upon  the  London  and  Birmingham  rail- 
way, for  1843,  was  as  follows : —  .,  .,^ 

"  Wages  of  engine  drivers  and  firemen,  -  -  .  £9,673 

Coke,  -  -  -  -  -  -  25,541 

Oil,  horse  pipes  and  fire  tools,  pumping  engines  and  water,  -     -  4,099 

Laborers  and  cleaners,  waste  and  oil,  -  -  .  4,194 

Repairs  of  engines  and  tenders,  ....  12,521 

Coals  and  fire  wood,  expenses  of  stationary  engine  at  Wolverton,  repairs 

of  buildings,  gas  and  incidental  charges,  ...  3,172 

Superintendent,  clerks'  and  foremen's  salaries,  and  office  charges,  4,634 — £63,834 

The  expense  of  working  the  atmospheric  system  for  one  year,  I  estimate 
approximately  as  follows : — 

"  Wages  of  engine  men,  64  at  6s. ;  stokers,  64  at  3s.,       '       -  -  £10,513 

The  same  during  the  night,  -  .  .  .      10,512 

Coal,  172  tons  per  day,  at  9s.,     ....  28,332 

Oil,  hemp,  tallow  and  repairs  at  5  per  cent,  on  cost  of  engines,  -      20,000 
Superintendence  same  as  locomotive,         ...  4,634 — £73,990 

I  have  already  stated  that  the  above  sum  has  no  pretension  to  precise  ac- 
curacy, but  since  I  have  intentionally  omitted  numerous  items  of  expense, 
which  must  arise  (the  exact  amount  of  which  no  one  ran  venture  to  predict 
or  to  introduce  into  such  a  calculation  with  much  confidence,)  I  prefer  ma- 
king the  comparison  under  that  aspect  which  is  the  most  favorable  to  the 
new  invention  under  discussion ;  because  1  conceive  the  question  between 
the  atmospheric  and  locomotive  systems  does  not  by  any  means,  after  what 
has  been  advanced,  depend  on  the  mere  annual  cost  of  working.  I  shall 
content  myself  with  the  above  statement,  which  in  my  opinion  sufficiently 
cMablishes  the  £ict,  that  the  cost  of  working  the  Liondoa  and  Birmingham 


On  the  Atmospkerie  System.  266 

railway,  or  any  other  line  with  a  similar  traffic,  by  the  atmospheric  system 
would  greatly  exceed  that  by  locomotive  engines. 

But,  to  do  the  system  full  justice,  a  single  line,  the  favorite  instance,  may 
be  taken  at  their  own  estimates  ;  and  the  result  entirely  coincides  with  that 
given  by  our  correspondent  S.,  in  our  last 

"  Let  us  now  conceive  it  applied  to  a  case  of  an  opposite  character ;  for 
example,  the  Norwich  and  Yarmouth  railway,  which  has  cost  about  £10,- 
000  per  mile,  including  carrying  stock  and  every  appurtenance.  This  line 
passes  over  a  country  in  which  the  application  of  the  atmospheric  system 
could  have  effected  no  economy  in  the  formation  of  the  line,  which  has  not 
exceeded  a  cost  of  £8,000  per  mile..  The  application  of  a  single  line  of 
the  atmospheric  apparatus  would,  in  this  instance,  have  added  at  least  £5.000 
per  mile,  which  upon  20  miles,  the  length  of  the  railway,  would  amount  to 
£100,000.  The  mere  interest  of  this  sum,  at  5  per  cent,  is  £5,000  per  an- 
num, whereas  the  actual  working  of  this  line,  including  maintenance  of 
way,  booking  offices,  porterage  and  all  other  constant  traffic  charges,  has 
been  let  for  £7,000  per  annum,  being  only  £2,000  above  the  bare  interest 
of  the  extra  capital  which  would  be  required  to  lay  down  the  atmospheric 
apparatus ;  an  amount  which  would  be  quite  inadequate  to  meet  the  wear 
and  tear  of  the  machinery  alone,  leaving  nothing  to  meet  the  current  cost 
of  w^orxing.  Here,  therefore,  we  have  a  case,  where  the  country  is  favor- 
able, the  original  capital  small,  and  the  traffic  moderate,  where  the  cost  of 
the  atmospheric  system  would  be  so  burdensome  as  to  render  it  totally  in- 
applicable." 

In  the  apj>endix,  the  comparison  of  the  atmospheric  system  with  that  on 
the  Blackwall  railway  is  given  with  great  clearness  by  Mr.  Bidder,  and 
leads  to  this  conclusion,  that — 

"  Unlescj  some  expedient  with  which  I  at  present  am  unacquainted  can 
be  devised  for  obviating  the  necessity  of  stopping  at  each  intermediate  sta- 
tion, it  would  appear  that  the  trains  could  not  be  run  more  frequently  than 
at  half  hour  intervals  with  the  engines  now  at  work,  thus  reducing  the 
trains  to  one  half  their  present  number,  and  this,  too,  without  effecting  any 
saving  in  the  working  expenses,  inasmuch  as  there  would  be  no  reduction 
in  the  staff  of  conductors  while  the  constant  and  severe  breaking  would  in- 
crease the  cost  of  maintenance  of  way  and  carriages ;  the  wages  of  the  rope 
men  also  would  not  compensate,  for  the  extra  cost  arising  from  the  engines 
being  kept  continually  at  work,  instead  of  for  ten  minutes  only  out  of  every 
quarter  of  an  hour,  as  is  now  the  case ;  and  lastly,  the  interest  of  the  outlay 
requisite  to  introduce  this  system  would  exceed  the  annual  cost  of  reparing 
and  replacing  the  rope." 

Mr.  Stephenson  sums  up  the  whole  case  thus: — 

"  1st.  That  the  atmospheric  system  is  not  an  economical  mode  of  trans- 
mitting power,  and  inferior  in  this  respect  both  to  locomotive  engines  and 
stationary  engines  with  ropes.  2nd.  That  it  is  not  calculated  practically 
to  acquire  and  maintain  higher  velocities  than  are  comprised  in  the  present 
working  of  locomotive  engines.  3d.  That  it  would  not  in  the  majority  of 
instances  produce  economy  in  the  original  construction  of  railways,  and  in 
many  would  most  materially  augment  their  cost.  4th.  That  on  some  short 
railways,  where  the  traffic  is  large,  admitting  of  trains  of  moderate  weight 
but  requiring  high  velocities  and  frequent  departures,  and  where  the  face  of 
the  country  is  such  as  to  preclude  the  use  of  gradients  suitable  for  locomo- 
tive engines,  the  atmospheric  system  would  prove  the  most  eligible.  5th. 
That  on  short  lines  of  railway,  say  four  or  five  miles  in  length,  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  large  towns,  where  frequent  and  rapid  communication  is  required 


266  On  the  Atmospheric  System. 

between  the  termini  alone,  the  atmospheric  system  might  be  advantageous-! 
ly  applied.  6th.  That  on  short  lines,  such  as  the  Blackwall  railway,  where 
the  traffic  is  chiefly  derived  from  intermediate  points,  requiring  frequent 
stoppages  between  the  termini,  the  atmospheric  system  is  inapplicable  ;  be- 
ino  much  inferior  to  the  plan  of  disconnecting  the  carriages  from  a  rope, 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  intermediate  traffic.  7.  That  on  long  lines 
of  railway,  the  requisites  of  a  large  traffic  cannot  be  attained  by  so  inflexi- 
ble a  system  as  the  atmospheric,  in  which  the  efficient  operation  of  the 
whole  depends  so  completely  upon  the  perfect  performance  of  each  individ- 
ual section  of  the  machinery." 

Mr.  Herapath  takes  strong  ground  against  the  atmospheric  railway,  and 
speaking  of  the  great  loss  of  power  from  the  friction  of  the  air  in  the  pipes, 
says : — 

"  That  I  am  not  unsupported  in  the  views  of  the  inefficiency  of  these  at- 
mospheric machines,  I  shall  show  by  a  quotation,  furnished  me  a  few  days 
ago  by  a  friend,  from  Dr.  Robison's  Mechanical  Philosophy.  The  first 
experiment  was  made  by  Papin,  an  able  man  of  science  and  a  very  eminent 
engineer.  The  second  seems  also  to  have  been  made  by  a  good  engineer 
and  it  is  therefore  presumed  that  both  of  these  facts  ought  to  be  well  known 
to  our  engineers  of  the  present  day.  It  is  to  be  lamented  that  the  size  of 
the  tubes  is  not  mentioned,  but  doubtless  they  were  small,  perhaps  only  a 
few  inches  in  diameter.  As  bearing,  however,  on  the  general  question  of 
the  great  amount  of  friction  of  air  in  tubes,  it  is  not  material  to  know  the 
exact  size. 

"  Dr.  Papin,  a  most  ingenious  man,  proposed  this  (the  motion  of  air  in 
pipes)  as  the  most  effectual  method  of  transferring  the  action  of  a  moving 
power  to  a  great  distance.  Suppose  for  instance,  that  it  was  required  to 
raise  water  out  of  a  mine  by  a  water  machine,  and  that  there  was  no  fall  of 
water  rvearer  than  a  mile's  distance.  He  employed  this  water  to  drive  a 
piston,  which  should  compress  the  air  in  a  cylinder  communicating  by  a 
long  pipe,  with  another  cylinder  at  the  mouth  of  the  mine.  He  expected 
that  as  soon  as  the  piston  at  the  water  machine  had  compressed  the  air  suf- 
ficiently, it  would  cause  the  air  in  the  cylinder  at  the  mine,  to  force  up  its 
piston,  and  thus  work  the  pump.  Dr.  Hooke  made  many  objections  to  the 
method  when  laid  before  the  Royal  Society,  and  it  was  much  debated  there. 
But  dynamics  was  at  this  time  an  infant  scienf-e,  and  very  little  understood. 
Newton  had  not  then  taken  any  part  in  the  business  of  the  society,  other- 
wise the  true  objections  would  not  have  escaped  his  sagacious  mind.  Not- 
withstanding Papin's  great  reputation  as  an  engineer  and  mechanic,  he  could 
not  bring  his  machine  into  use  in  England :  but  afterwards  in  France  and 
Germany,  where  he  settled,  he  got  some  persons  of  great  fortune  to  employ 
him  in  this  project ;  and  he  erected  great  machines  at  Auvergne  and  West- 
phalia, for  draining  mines.  But  so  far  from  being  effective  machines,  they 
would  not  even  begin  to  move.  He  attributed  the  failure  to  the  quantity  of 
air  in  the  pipe  of  communication,  which  must  be  condensed  before  it  can 
condense  the  air  in  the  remote  cylinder.  This  indeed  is  true,  and  he  should 
have  thought  of  this  earlier.  He  therefore  diminished  the  size  of  this  pipe 
and  made  his  water  machine  exhaust  instead  of  condensing,  and  had  no 
doubt  but  that  the  immense  velocity  with  which  air  rushes  into  a  void,  would 
make  a  rapid  and  eflfectual  communication  of  power.  But  he  was  equally 
disappointed  here,  and  the  machine  at  the  mine  stood  still  as  before. 

"  Near  a  century  after  this  a  very  intelligent  engineer  attempted  a  much 
more  feasible  thing  of  this  kind  at  an  iron  foundry  in  Wales.     He  erected 


;     Central  Railroad.  :~  367 

a  machine  at  a  poti^erful  fall  of  water,  which  worked  a  set  of  cylinder  bel- 
lows, the  blowpipe  of  which  was  conducted  to  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  a 
half,  where  it  was  applied  to  a  blast  furnace.  But  notwithstanding  every 
care  to  make  the  conducting  pipe  very  air-tight,  of  great  size,  and  as 
smooth  as  possible,  it  would  hardly  blow  out  a  candle.  The  failure  was  as- 
cribed to  the  impossibility  of  making  the  pipe  air-tight.  But  what  was  sur- 
{►rising,  above  ten  minutes  elapsed  after  the  action  of  the  piston  in  the  bel- 
ows,  before  the  least  wind  could  be  perceived  at  the  end  of  the  pipe ;  where- 
as the  engineer  expected  an  interval  of  six  seconds  only." 

It  was  our  intention  to  have  offered  some  remarks  of  our  own  on  this 
novel  and  extraordinary  project ;  but  when  we  find  such  men  as  R.  Stephea- 
8on  and  Brunei  entertaining  diametrically  opposite  opinions  after  actual  ex- 
amination, we  think  it  will  better  become  us  to  merely  submit  their  views 
to  our  readers.  The  cost  alone  will  prevent  the  possibility  of  its  adoption 
on  the  vast  majority  of  roads  in  this  country,  though  we  think  that  the  coal 
region  of  Pennsylvania  affords  some  suitable  openings. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Stephenson  deduces  all  his  conclusions  from  his 
own  experiments,  considering  them  as  infallible,  while  Mr.  Brunei  founds 
his  opinion  on  what — judging  from  the  present  state  of  things — may  rea- 
sonably be  expected  from  experience  skill  and  observation,  and  we  think 
this  is  with  |>rae/ua2  men  the  safer  mode. 

CENTRAL   RAILROAD,    GEORGIAr 

This  important  work,  the  longest  railway  in  existence,  is  now  completed 
and  the  following  extracts  from  the  report  of  the  engineer,  Mr.  L.  O.  Rey- 
nolds, will  give  our  readers  a  good  idea  of  the  railway  generally. 

"  The  quantity  of  excavation  and  embankment  throughout  the  whole  line 
is  about  five  million  six  hundred  thousand  cubic  yards.  There  are,  inclu- 
ding the  long  bridge  over  the  Oconee  swamp,  about  six  miles  in  extent  of 
trestle  bridging ;  about  one-third  of  this  may  be,  at  a  future  day,  filled  up 
with  earth. 

"  The  road-bed  is  graded  to  a  width  of  15  feet  on  the  embankments,  with 
slopes  of  one  and  a  half  base  to  one  vertical.  The  excavations  below  sta- 
tion No.  10,  are  generally  graded  25  feet  wide ;  beyond  that  station,  20  feet ; 
side  slopes  generally,  45  degrees — except  in  loose  soils,  when  they  are  sim- 
ilar to  the  embankments,  and  in  some  instances  two  to  one. 

"  There  has  been  no  rock  excavation  of  consequence,  but  many  of  the 
cuts  have  been  through  a  compact  mixture  of  clay  and  sand,  which  requir- 
ed the  aid  of  the  pick  in  excavating. 

"  Considerable  work  will  be  necessary  during  the  present  and  next  year% 
in  Extending  and  perfecting  the  drainage  of  the  road.  Nothing  is  more  im- 
portant than  good  drainage  to  insure  a  firm  and  even  track. 

"  The  maximum  inclination  of  grade  of  the  road  is  30  feet  per  mile.  Al- 
though I  have  inserted  a  table  of  the  gradients  and  curves  of  the  road  in  a 
former  report,  I  will  repeal  that  they  may  be  classed  as  follows : 


Level, 

•                                     «                                     •                                    « 

Iticlinations  not  over   5  feet  per  mile, 

t( 

from     5  to  10  «         " 

u 

«       10  to  15  «         »«     ' 

4          u 

«       15  to  20  «         « 

^          ({ 

"      20  to  25  "        « 

-4             M 

«      25  to  30  «        «     ■■" 

dilM. 

Feet. 

26 

4,378 

44 

4,880 

ao 

4,600 

17 

4,240 

13 

3,160 

0 

3,880 

47—190 

210—1,600 

968 


Central  Railroad. 


"  The  following  table  exhibits  the  proportion  of  straight  and  curved  line, 
with  the  various  radii  of  the  curves.  Number  of  curves,  109  ;  number  of 
straight  lines,  110. 


Length  of  Radius 

] 

Plumber  of  Curves 

Aggregate  Distance. 

2,000 

feet. 

- 

25 

•    , 

42,835   feet 

2,100 

(( 

w 

4 

9,802     " 

tJ,300 

u 

■,    ■^■ 

. 

3,943     " 

-  2.500 

u 

. 

-       5 

8,139    " 

3,000 

u 

13 

. 

20,788     "  ' 

3,500 

(( 

- 

•       6 

.,•     13,781     « 

4,000 

a 

12 

« 

25,683     « 

4,500 

(( 

- 

-       2 

-       4,980    " 

5,000 

« 

15 

. 

'            45,729    « 

7,000 

u 

. 

•      2 

3,656     « 

8,000 

;( 

5 

• 

15,313     " 

10,000 

u 

- 

-       8 

i.-    28,100     " 

15,000 

u 

5 

• 

-  r.    -  21.916    «    . 

16,000 

u 

• 

1 

.  u»riv      7,139     ♦« 

20,000 

(( 

1 

• 

.  ^  -       8,374     « 

30,000 

(( 

. 

-       2 

6,920    « 

150,000 

(( 

1 

• 

26,500     « 

Total, 

- 

-   109 

- 

-    293,596     " 

Total  len 

gth  of 

curv 

ed  line, 

55  miles, 

and 

3,156     " 

U                ( 

stra 

ght  line, 

134 

a 

u 

3,724    " 

Whole  length  o 

f  roa 

J, 

190 

u 

a 

1,600    « 

The  summit  is  464  feet  above  tide,  and  the  level  of  the  Ocmulgee  bridge 
(floor)  is  297  feet  above  tide.  This  bridge  we  take  to  be  the  western  termi- 
nus of  the  road. 

"  The  plan  of  superstructure  for  one  hundred  miles  from  Savannah,  is 
as  follows  : 

"  Cross  sleepers  are  first  bedded  in  the  ground  and  rammed  solid,  their 
upper  surfaces  being  level  with  the  grade  of  the  road  ;  string  pieces,  6  in. 
deep  and  12  in.  wide,  are  then  trenailed  flatwise  on  the  sleepers,  and  the 
ground  rammed  under  them,  affording  a  continuous  bearing.  On  the  top, 
and  in  the  centre  of  these  string  pieces,  is  placed  a  small  lath  or  ribbon,  3 
by  2  in.  of  hard  pine ;  and  this  is  surmounted  by  the  plate,  or  strap  rail  of 
iron,  3  in.  wide  by  |  in.  thick.  The  iron  is  confined  by  spikes  7  in.  long, 
passing  through  the  ribbon  into  the  string  piece.  Wrought  iron  splicing 
plates,  4  in-  thick,  are  placed  under  the  joinings  of  the  bars,  the  spikes  pas- 
sing through  them.  The  balance  of  the  road  above  the  100  mile  station  is 
similar,  excepting  that  a  light  T  rail  is  laid  on  the  string  piece,  instead  of 
the  ribbon  and  plate  rail. 

"  Total  cost  of  the  road,  $2,581,723.  This  amount  is  made  up  of  vari- 
ous items,  which  may  be  set  down  as  follows : 

'•  Grading,  including  grubbing,  clearing,  excavation,  embank- 
ment and  wooden  culverts,  -  -  -  -  975,898 
Culverts  of  masonry,  ....  *.  v.  *  49,000 
Depot  at  Savannah,  ....  ■^'.,\  33,078 
Depot  at  Macon,  -  -  •  -  .  -ii-  ..  ».:  24,767 
Bridges,  including  Oconee,  which  cost  $70,000,  •  -  126,000 
Laying  superstructure,  and  materials,  except  iron,  •  -  424,400 
Wells,  pumps  and  cisterns,               ....  4,600 


4 


■;'';■'       ,■;•;-/■„■■■■.•■   Central  Railroatf.^'  2W 

Iron  rails,  spikes  and  plates,      -        ,    r  .         .-        i ->  .    476,081 

Damage  by  freshet  of  1841,  >       .      -  ;  -     -       i         -68)000 

Right  of  way,  -  -  -  -  [*■-],.■;:':,' ^■.::  „.,      36|l53 

Engineering,  including  preliminary  surreys,      "      >      .  /  *  154,530 

Tools,  machinery,  etc.,  in  shops,       -  -     •   -"^  •.:*;;*  (  15,000 

Incidental  expenses,       •  -  -••:;:  •♦v:-:'-v*      25,873 

:■  -v--^->'^-^  "-^^  - '''••':• '^'^  $2;58l7?^ 

"'"Average  cost  of  road  per  mile,  excTnsive  of  motive* power,  $12,702 

"  Since  the  date  of  my  last  report,  we  have  increased  our  motive  power 
by  the  addition  of  six  freight  engines  of  the  second  class,  making  our  num- 
ber now  14,  viz :  8  third  class  6  wheel  engines,  5  second  class  8  wheel 
freight  engines,  1  second  class  6  wheel  connected  freight  engine;  all  of 
which  are  in  running  order,  except  one.  These  engines  have  performed 
from  the  1st  November,  1842,  to  1st  December,  1843,  a  total  distance  of 
.181,954  miles. 

"  The  whole  amount  of  fuel  consumed  in  performance  of  the  above  dis- 
tance, was  2,739  cords  of  wood,  being  an  average  of  6643  miles  run  for 
every  cord  of  wood  consumed. 

"  Two  additional  freight  engines,  and  the  wheels,  etc.,  for  fifty  burthen 
i'cars,  have  been  ordered,  and  will  be  received  in  time  to  meet  the  business 
of  the  next  fall. 

"  This  will  swell  the  number  of  eight  wheel  burthen  cars  to  upwards  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty." 

The  receipts  for  13  months  ending  Nov.,  1843,  were  $227,531  94,  of 
■^which  $37,329  37  were  from  passengers,  $17,517  76  from  the  U.  S.  mail 
and  the  remainder  from  freight.  Number  of  passengers,  10,461,  of  bales 
_of  cotton  47,133. 

The  expenses  for  that  period  have  been  as  follows:         ' 

/;« Repairs  of  the  road,        -  -  -  61,886  89  v    ^ 

Tools  and  materials  for  repairs  of  engines  and  cars,   3,175  08  ,     s.^ 

XBalaries,    -  -  -,  -     _       -       .      9,885  32 

»'       way  stations,  -     r       -;..,;      v        8,276  53 
Oil  and  tallow,      -  -     ■■       * ;         v     ;       1,237  75 

-Fuel  and  water,  -  -    _        •  f-      11,477  39         .;;,.. ..-^ 

"^  Labor,  provisions  and  forage,        ■•■•.>"/■•       2,578  14 
':vDamage,         -  -  -     ;  /';/r.,viI:''v>)^";      'j^^  82^  \  ;.^:^  ,. 

V:  Insurance  on  cotton,  -  *,^^"     '         1,352  19        Q '"    L  F 

'Machinists,  runners  and  firemen,     Vi-*    ...    •      15,194  12 
Carpenters,  -  -  .*;^;ofV-  2,26667 

■Blacksmiths,-  -  .»:-'>>'  .         1,773  78 

Conductors  and  train  hands,  :*^"'V"^^^  11,935  77 

^  Incidental  expenses,    -  .     -  '  •    '      ;  w<       2,042  99—134,34143 

Leaving  a  nett  profit,  of  -  -  •  '       $93,190  51 

"  The  comptuation  of  profits,  receipts,  etc.,  is  made  up  to  Dec.  1st,  being 
one  month  over  a  year,  that  the  accounts  may  correspond  in  date  with  those 
of  the  bank  for  the  future." 

The  receipts  for  the  three  following  months,  were  $86,716  73, 

"  It  will,  no  doubt,  be  observed  that,  in  the  account  of  expenses,  the  items 
of  repairs  of  road  is  much  increased  over  last  year.  We  have  most  sensi' 
biy  felt  the  benefit  of  increasing  the  outlay  for  this  purpose  in  the  improved 


S70 


Housatonie  Railroad  Repori. 


SR317  ner  mile. 
572       « 


condition  of  the  road,  and  the  regularity  with  which  our  trains  perform 

«  In  order  however,  to  show  that  the  expense  of  this  particular  branch 

of  the  service  is  still  within  modertite  limits,  I  majr  here  mention  that  the 

annual  cost  of  repairs  of  our  road  avRraoe   -  -  ^"^^"^  -"^         " 

T;     ouuiii  i^aroiina  railroad,     -  -  -  - 

Georgia  railroad,  -  -  -  -  303 

Average  of  eight  principal  railroads  in  Massachusetts,  -         477 
"         Western  railroad,  -  -  -  310 

"     "  The  expense  of  working  our  road  per  mile  run,  during  the  above  pe- 
riod, has  been     -  ~  -  -  *  *  73-8  cents. 

HOUSATONIC    RAILROAD    REPORT.  j  '-     t  ^     -•    i' 

VVe  have  the  report  of  this  company,  dated  24th  June,  1844,  and  make 
such  extracts  as  will  interest  our  readers.  It  is  mainly  occupied  by  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  company. 

"  The  entire  length  of  the  Housatonie  railroad,  from  the  tide  water  at 
Bridgeport  to  the  north  line  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  is  73  ,Vi7  miles. 
In  this  distance  there  are  twelve  regular  stations,  for  the  receipt  and  dis- 
charge of  passengers  and  freight,  namely,  at  Stepney,  Botsford's,  Newtown, 
Hawleyville,  Brookfield,  New  Milford,  Gaylord's  Bridge,  Kent,  Cornwall 
Bridge,  West  Cornwall,  Falls  Village  and  North  Canaan.  The  maximum 
grade  is  40  feel  to  the  mile^  but  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  road  is  pass- 
ed on  grades  of  nnder  26  feet  to  the  mile. 

"  The  following  expenditures  have  been  made  in  the  construction  of  the 
road  and  appendages. 

«  Obtaining  charter,  preliminary  surveys,  etc., 
Right  of  way  and  land  damages,        ,  -  . 

Grading  and  superstructure,  .  .  - 

Engineering,  •  •  -  .  *         -. 

Turntables,  .  .  -  -  - 

Engine  houses,  .  .  .  -  , 

Construction  of  Depots,  etc.,        •.  ^  . 

Profit  and  loss,  .  .  .  >.  - 

Contingent  expenses,         -  -  .  . 

Real  estate,    .------- 

Engines  and  cars,     /      "  * 

'  $1^,122  91 

"This  expenditure  of  fl,244,ti^  91,  for  a  road  of  74  miles  in  length, 
with  an  ample  outfit  of  engines  and  cars,  will  bear  favorable  comparisoa 
with  any  other  railroad  in  the  United  States,  of  similar  construction." 

"  The  Berkshire  railroad  company,  chartered  by  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, with  a  capital  of  $250,000,  all  paid  in,  constructed  their  road  from  the 
aortnern  termination  of  the  Housatonie  road  to  the  village  of  West  Stock- 
bridge.  There  are  four  regular  stations  on  this  road — at  Sheffield,  Great 
Barrington,  Van  Deusenville  and  West  Stockbridge.  Its  entire  length  is 
21-,W  miles.  The  grades  are  similar  to  those  on  the  Housatonie  road. 
The  use  of  the  road  is  granted  to  the  Housatonie  railroad  company  during 
the  term  of  the  charter,  at  an  annual  rent  of  $17,500,  payable  monthly. 
The  road  is  to  be  kept  in  repair  by  the  lessees,  and  in  effect  the  Housatonie 
railroad  company  possess  as  complete  control  over  it,  as  if  it  had  been  con- 
structed under  their  own  charter.  The  rent  is  paid  m  full,  and  is  consider- 
ed as  one  of  the  charges  of  mcmtbiy  expense  and  settled  accordingly.     Tbe 


6,150  32 

60,051  43 

967,005  60 

24.407  23 

i;493  64 

4,383  68 
11,733  70 
46,770  53 
23,097  32 

1,669  80 
97,359  66 


...?^■^....^^^ 


Railteays  in  Michigan.  271 

Berkshire  company  have  the  right  to  increase  capital  to  $600,000,  and  an 
arrangement  may  be  made  for  the  issue  of  Ptock  to  an  amount  which  may 
be  necessary  for  substituting  heavier  rail,  upon  adding  to  the  rent  paid  by 
this  company  a  sum  equal  to  seven  per  cent,  upon  the  expenditure.  This 
insures  a  superstructure  equal  to  any  which  may  be  adopted  on  the  Housa- 
tonic  road,  whenever  a  ne»v  and  stronger  rail  may  be  laid  or-  that  road. 
From  West  Stockbridge,  the  line  is  continued  to  the  Western  road,  by  the 
West  Stockbridge  company,  a  distance  of  about  2^  miles.  That  road  is 
leased  to  the  Housaionic  railroad  company,  for  the  term  of  the  charter,  at 
an  annual  rent  of  about  $1000.  One  half  of  the  expense  of  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  road  is  to  be  paid  by  the  lessees.  Provision  is  made  in  the 
lease,  by  which  an  edge  rail  may  be  laid  by  the  Housatonic  railroad  com- 
pany ;  in  which  case  an  allowance  equal  to  one  half  of  the  average  repairs 
of  the  present  road,  is  to  be  made  to  the  Housatonic  railroad  company." 

"Receipts  of  1842.  1843.  1844. 

January,  $8,072  85  .     $11,826  87  $15,305  07 

February,  6,011  75  10,212  36  15,534  03 

March,  6,083  41  13,563  93  14,065  47 

April  5,779  23  9,738  24  10,10106 

May,                        6,363  03  10,310  64  13,142  67 

Total  5  months,      $32;3i0  27  $65;652  04  $68,148  30 

RAILWAYS   IN   MICHIGAN.  .  .,_ 

The  rapid  increase  of  income  on  these  works,  is  truly  gratifying.  The 
Central  railroad  is  to  be  opened  very  soon  to  Kalamazoo  and  this,  the  com- 
missioners say,  will  itself  pay  the  interest  on  the  State  debt. 

They  complain  much  of  the  heavy  duty  lately  imposed  on  railroad  iron, 

"  The  tariff  of  1842  placed  a  cash  duty  of  $25  per  ton  on  railroad  iron, 
which  prevented  the  commissioners  from  importing  it,  as  they  were  unable 
to  make  payment  of  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  cost  of  the  iron  on  its  ar- 
rival in  this  country.  The  low  price  of  iron  in  England  would  have  ena- 
bled them  to  have  imported  it  to  great  advantage  had  it  not  been  for  the 
heavy  duty  placed  upon  it,  for  the  first  time,  by  the  act  of  1842.  This 
duty  is  a  serious  obstacle  to  the  extension  of  our  railroads,  and  the  commis- 
sioners would  respectfully  suggest  to  the  legislature  the  propriety  of  endea- 
voring to  have  the  tariff  act  so  modified,  as  to  allow  its  importation  free  of 
duty,  as  heretofore,  particularly  for  roads  which  had  been  commenced  while 
such  permission  was  allowed." 

Of  the  Southern  railroad  they  say :  » ^     - .    :  ^   i.> 

"  This  road  was  ironed  and  put  in  operation  to  Hillsdale,  68  miles  from 
Monroe,  early  in  October,  since  which  time  all  the  locomotive  power  on 
the  road  has  been  fully  employed,  and  a  large  amount  of  produce  remained 
on  hand  at  the  different  points  on  the  load  which  it  was  impossible  to  trans- 
port in  time  for  shipment  to  the  east,  for  a  want  of  machinery  and  cars. 
The  limited  means  the  board  then  had  control  of,  not  enabling  them  to  pro- 
vide in  season  the  necessary  facilities  for  doing  all  the  business  that  was  of- 
fered. Two  new  locomotives  have  been  placed  upon  the  road  and  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  cars  will  be  prepared  in  season,  to  do  alt  the  business  that 
offers  during  the  coming  year.  The  difficulties  which  have  heretofore  pre- 
vented this  road  from  producing  any  revenue,  have  now  been  principally 
overcome.     The  facilities  for  shipmeat  of  produce  at  its  eastern  termina- 


mH  ^  On  Plank  Road*. 

tion,  have  much  increased,  and  by  its  extension  west  of  Adrian,  the  coinp&> 
tition  with  the  Toledo  road  is  obviated." 

The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  Mr.  Berrien,  the  chief  engi- 
neer, is  interesting.  Speaking  of  the  "  warrants"  in  which  the  contractor! 
are  paid,  he  says : 

"  For  all  purposes  except  the  purchase  of  a  few  things  considered  as 
cash  articles,  they  are  used  to  much  better  advantage,  and  being  the  same 
as  cash  to  those  who  use  them  for  the  purchase  of  public  land,  a  great 
many  are  induced  to  seek  employment  upon  the  road  for  the  purpose  of 
applying  the  proceeds  of  their  labor,  and  obtaining  land,  which  probably 
they  could  not  obtain  in  any  other  way.  In  addition  to  the  above  is  the  fact 
that  but  little  money  is  used  at  present  in  payment  for  labor  of  any  kind, 
also  helping  to  increase  the  demand  for  work  upon  the  railroad,  and  the  ef- 
fect of  competition  has  been  a  very  great  reduction  in  prices. 

"  Were  money  to  be  used  we  should  undoubtedly  be  able  to  make  more ' 
rapid  progress ;  yet,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  required,  it  is  matter  of 
doubt  whether  the  road  could  be  carried  on  to  much  greater  advantage  with 
money  than  is  now  being  done  with  warrants.  At  any  rate,  there  is  no 
doubt  of  the  fact,  that  the  greater  part  of  the  work,  and  grading  especially, 
is  done  at  present  at  much  lower  rates  in  warrants  than  were  paid  for  simi- 
lar work,  a  few  years  ago,  in  cash."  .         .  .. 

ON  FLANK  ROADS  IN  CANADA. 

Lord  Sydenham,  during  his  long  sojourn  in  Russia,  travelled  on  several 
of  them,  and  found  them  well  adapted  to  the  circumstances  and  the  climate; 
and,  as  Ijoth  were  very  similar  to  those  in  Canada,  he  was  strongly  of  the 
opinion  that  their  introduction  there  would  greatly  conduce  to  the  public  in- 
terest. A  few  miles  of  road  in  the  neighborhood  of  Toronto  was  first  laid 
with  plank  by  the  local  commissions  who  had  the  management  of  it.  The 
cost  of  stone  and  the  great,  expense  they  had  been  at  in  macadamizing  a 
portion  of  the  same  road,  as  well  as  the  heavy  arinual  repairs,  had  induced 
them  to  try  the  experiment  in  that  province  of  laying  a  planked  surface  on 
the  road.  A  gentleman  describing  it,  says :  "  I'he  few  miles  nearest  the 
city,  and  over  which  very  considerable  traffic  existed,  were  planked  ;  and, 
upon  inspection,  it  was  found  the  top  surface  of  the  timber  was  worn  in  the 
centre  for  the  breadth  of  7  feet,  and  to  the  depth  of  f  of  an  inch  ;  the  ends 
being  to  the  full  dimensions  as  the  plank  came  from  the  saw.  The  bottom 
or  under  side  of  the  planks,  was  found  throughout  perfectly  sound.  In  two 
or  three  places,  where  a  small  cavity  was  left  by  the  foot  of  a  horse  or  other 
animal,  there  was  found  a  slight  pinkish  tinge  corresponding  with  the  cavi- 
ty, and  indicating  the  commencement  of  fungus.  The  sleepers  appeared 
perfectly  sound."  The  facts  elicited  by  examination  of  the  portion  of  the 
road  laid  down  but  one  season,  were  the  same  as  the  foregoing,  except  that 
but  f  of  abrasion  had  taken  place.     From  the  foregoing,  it  will  be  seen — 

1st.  That  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  plank  road,  even  near  a  populous 
town,  is  confined  to  the  7  feet  in  width  of  the  centre. 

2d.  That,  for  the  preservation  of  the  planks  from  decay  underneath,  it  is 
indispensable  that  every  portion  of  it  be  solidly  imbedded  in  the  formation. 

3d.  That  considerably  more  than  half  the  wear  and  tear  which  occurs  in 
seven  years'  use  of  the  road,  takes  place  the  first  year ;  which  is  easily  ac- 
counted for,  by  the  natural  stripping  off  while  the  plank  is  fresh,  of  those 
fibres  which  were  cross-cut  by  the  saw  ;  and  from  the  fact  of  the  dung  of 
the  cattle  getting  bound  with  the  raised  fibre  of  the  wood  and  thus  forming 


Georgia  Railroad.      ♦  273 

a  lough  elastic  covering,  which  saves  the  plank  in  a  great  measure,  from 
the  effects  of  the  horse's  shoes,  and  the  tire  of  the  wheels.     On  this  road 
the  plank  is  16  feet  long,  3  inches  thick,  laid  crossways  at  cross  angles  to 
the  road,  on  5  sleepers  of  pine  5x3  laid  on  edge,  and  in  the  line  of  the  road  ; 
and  this  was  considered  the  best  mode  of  laying  a  plank  road,  except  that 
on  a  country  road  plank  8  or  10  feet  long  will  be  found  quite  sufficient 
On  the  Chambly  road  (plank)  the  planks  are  12  feet  long,  but  laid  diago- 
nally, so  as  to  make  the  road  but  8  feet  wide.     This  was  opposed  by  some, 
and  very  justly ;  for,  as  apprehended,  the  weight  of  half  the  vehicle  and 
load  coming  suddenly  on  one  end  of  the  plank,  and  the  other  end  not  being 
kept  down  at  the  same  time,  the  traffic  constantly  tends  to  disrupt  the  road, 
and  the  planks  are  loose,  and  spring  from  end  to  end.     Another  principle 
connected  with  the  laying  of  this  road,  (which  was  opposed)  is  that  of  hav- 
ing the  sleepers  of  much  larger  scantling  than  on  the  Toronto  road.     It 
was  remarked  that,  as  all  earth  formation  under  a  road  of  this  nature  will 
more  or  less  subside  and  shrink,  the  giving  to  the  sleepers  too  much  area 
would  enable  them  to  bear  up  the  plank,  leaving  the  earth  to  settle  from 
them,  thereby  causing  springing  in  the  plank,  which  tends  greatly  to  their 
being  cut  away ;  (in  fact,  they  quickly  become  rounded  from  the  edges ;) 
and,  also,  that  fungus  and  decay  of  the  plank  would  be  brought  on,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  confined  air  below.    These  apprehensions  are  realized.    At 
duebec,  part  of  the  road  has  been  planked,  the  plank  being  laid  lengthwise 
of  the  road.     It  was  considered  that  the  planks  would  stand  better  the  fric- 
tion, and,  when  necessary,  could  be  more  easily  taken  up,  and  the  road  re- 
paired.    One  strong  objection  to  this  mode  of  laying  the  plank  is  found  to  , 
be,  that  the  horses  cannot  keep  their  feet  when   jnuch  weighted,  and  are 
much  exposed  to  falling,  in  consequence.     Under  all  the  circun>stances, 
most  have  approved  the  manner  in  which  the  planks  are  laid  on  the  Toron- 
to road.     Those  now  being  planked  under  the  department  in  the.  western 
section  of  the  province  are  so  laid,  except  that  the  planks  are  spiked  with  a 
6J  inch  spike — one  in  each  end.     With  respect  to  plank  roads  generally,  I 
wish  none  to  suppose  that  I  am  an  advocate  for  their  adoption,  except  in    ■ 
those  sections  of  the  country  where  nature  has  afforded  no  better  material,  -, . 
and  where  funds  can  be  obtained  for  a  better  structure.     There  are  stretches  " 
of  30  and  40  miles,  in  parts  of  the  west,  where  the  soil  is  a  deep  rich  veg- 
etable mould,  and  withoutstone  or  gravel  of  any  description  ;  in  such  cases 
you  must  be  content  to  wade  through  the  mud,  or  adopt  the  plank  roads. 
When  the  traffic  or  intercourse  of  a  section  of  country  requires  that  good  .i^ 
roads  should  be  afforded  for  it,  the  adoption  of  plank  or  stone  roads  should  , 
be  governed  simply  by  a  comparison  of  the  first  cost  of  each,  in  conjunc-  V 
tion  with  the  probable  annual  expense  of  repairs  ;  and  if  this  comparison  is  :^ 
based  on  the  plank  lasting  12  years,  (or  some  say  10  years,)  a  safe  conclu-  ~i 
sionwill  be  arrived  at.     In  some  cases  in  Canada,  the  adoption  of  plank  si 
instead  of  stone  would  have  made  such  a  saving  as  would  have  replanked  x 
the  road  every  five  years,  if  necessary.     There  are  many  sections  in  the  V 
west,  where  timber  abounds,  especially  in  Ohio.  Indiana  and   Kentucky, - 
where  such  roads  might  be  introduced  with  great  advantage. 


r  jj    i  %  GEORGIA    RAILROAD. 

'■*jSt;&;-'.'  ■;. .  .  - 


In  our  last  we  gave  extracts  from  the  report  of  Mr.  Thompson  contain-  ) 
ing  numerous  details  of  interest  to  the  profession,  but  to  render  the  account  ^ 
of  this  specimen  of  civil  (not  political  or  State)  engineering  complete,  we  V 
copy  the  foUowioj;  tables  of  receipts  and  expenditures  for  upwards  of  6  yean. 


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276  Suspension  AqueSuei. — Northern  Railroads. 

■  .i''^  SUSPENSION   AQUEDUCT. 

We  are  glad  to  learn  that  an  aqueduct  suspended  by  wire  cables  is  to  be 
erected  at  Pittsburgh  by  Mr.  John  A.  Roebling,  C.  E.,  a  name  familiar  to 
the  readers  of  the  Journal.  The  spein  is  160  feet,  the  deflection  IT  feet 
and  the  total  weight  of  trunk,  cables  and  water,  353  tons  of  2000  lbs.  The 
strain  at  the  points  of  suspension  is  estimated  at  451  21  tons,  the  area  of 
each  chain  is  to  be  27  sq.  in.  and  the  wire  of  which  they  are  formed  is  cal- 
culated to  bear  a  maximum  load  of  90,000  lbs.  per  sq.  in. ;  but  the  greatest 
strain  to  which  the  cables  will  be  actually  subjected  will  not  exceed  18,000 
lbs.,  or  ^  of  the  maximum  load. 

The  trunk  will  be  of  wood,  13-6  ft.  at  bottom,  15  ft.  at  water-line,  sides  8 
ft.  high,  all  of  3  in.  plank,  in  two  courses  laid  diagonally,  and  well  spiked 
together.  The  stiffness  of  the  trunk  will  be  sufficient  to  prevent  vibration, 
even  in  the  most  violent  storms  and  will  be  sufficient  to  support  itself  when 
empty. 

A  wooden  aqueduct  is  estimated  at  $50,000,  and  Mr.  R.  says  in  a  commu- 

cation  published  in  a  Pittsburg  paper. 

"I  have  estimated,  and  I  am  willing,  to  undertake  a  tnorough  repair  of  the  piers  and 

•butments  for  $7,000 

"  Adding  to  this  the  expense  of  the  new  structure,  of  56,000 

"And  we  have  a  sum  of,  £  .  :  63,000 

M  the  total  expense  of  a  suspension  aqueduct,  including  everything."    T''' 

He  also  very  justly  observes, 

*  There  is  another  and  a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  the  suspension  plan,  which  is  en- 
titled to  attention.  The  true  interest  of  the  city,  as  has  been  observed  before  demands  a 
permanent  work.  But  the  principal  parts  of  a  suspension  auqeduct  will  be  formed  of  iron 
and  stone,  which  will  last  for  centuries.  And  the  wooden  parts,  the  trunk  and  the  beams 
can  at  any  time  be  substituted  by  iron  ones,  so  as  to  render  the  whole  structure  imperisha- 
ble, and  insure  the  services  of  the  aqueduct  for  the  future.  The  difference  of  weight  by 
the  substitution  of  iron  for  the  beams  and  trunk  in  place  of  wood,  would  be  in  favor  of  iron. ' 

The  idea  of  carrying  the  Croton  water  across  the  Harlem  river  suggest- 
ed itself  to  numerous  persons,  and  we  are  by  no  means  certain  that  it  would 
not  have  been  quite  as  safe  as  the  present  structure,  at  one-fourth  the  cost. 
Mr.  Roebling  quotes  the  opinions  of  some  eminent  French  engineers  in 
favor  of  the  application  of  the  principle  of  suspension  to  aqueducts,  and 
appears  to  have  thoroughly  investigated  everything  likely  to  have  any  bear- 
ing on  the  success  of  this  new  and — as  we  think — great  improvement  on 
the  ordinary  wooden  aqueducts  of  this  country. 

NORTHERN     RAILROADS. 

The  railway  is  creeping  up  to  the  Canada  lines,  and  we  understand  that 
a  survey  of  a  route  or  routes  thence  to  Montreal  is  going  on  at  this  time. 
The  line  from  New  Haven  up  the  Connecticut  river  and  that  from  Boston 
across  the  country  will  ere  long  meet,  and  the  question  then  is,  shall  we 
cross  Vermont  to  Burlington  on  lake  Champlain,  or  continue  the  route  north 
by  lake  Memphremagog  to  Montreal.  The  distance  will  of  course  be  less 
to  Burlington,  and,  as  this  line  will  traverse  the  best  part  of  Vermont,  its 
receipts  will  be  much  greater  than  the  direct  line  to  Montreal  which  run« 
for  many  miles  through  a  wilderness.     The  travel  from  Montreal  to  Boi 


'  IE nglisk  Railway  Bill.       ^-  '    '   >•  :^  "*«^ 

ton  will  be  well  accommodated  by  either  route  and  as  the  line  to  Burlington 
will  receive  the  trade  of  Vermont,  of  lake  Champlain  and  of  the  iron  re- 
gion of  New  York  in  addition,  it  appears  to  us  that,  in  the  vital  consider- 
ation of  income,  it  has  very  decidedly  the  advantage  over  its  northern  rival. 
Both  routes  have  been  examined,  though  not  instrumentally.  The  survey 
now  going  on  will  give  all  the  requisite  information  as  to  the  ground  on 
the  direct  line  to  Montreal,  and  though  we  have  no  hope  of  ever  seeing  a 
railway  there  we  still  believe  that  the  survey  now  making  may  not  be  with- 
out benefit.  For,  if  skilfully  conducted,  it  will  show  whether  a  railway 
can  succeed  there,  and,  if  that  be  impracticable,  what  other  communication 
can  be  recommended. 

But  the  present  break  in  the  line  from  Montreal  to  Boston  and  New  York 
— we  mean  the  distance  from  Saratoga  to  Whitehall — which  has  been  a 
cause  of  complaint  to  the  travelling  community  for  tho  last  ten  years  and 
which  is  likely  to  remain  so  for  some  years  longer,  prevents  us  from  in- 
dulging in  any  anticipations  of  a  good  route  to  the  north.  This  link  is 
alone  required  to  complete  -the  communication  by  steam  from  the  St.  Law- 
rence to  the  Hudson,  that  is,  from  Quebec  almost  to  Charleston,  yet  it  is 
scarcely  spoken  of. 

ENGLISH    RAILWAY   BILL. 

Our  readers  will  perhaps  recollect  that  some  of  the  arguments  used 
against  the  probable  effect  of  the  "  Railway  Bill,"  are  precisely  those  used 
by  some  of  our  contributors  as  well  as  ourselves  against  the  actual  efleet 
of  our  New  York  system  of  "State  works,"  in  crippling  private  enterprize 
and  degrading  the  profession.  The  following  is  from  Herapath's  Railway 
Magazine,  Feb.  6,  1844. 

"  Shortly  and  quietly  thus  stands  the  case  between  the  two  parties.  The 
government  sees  in  the  large  and  growing  capitals  of  the  railways  and  tho 
endless  offices  that  arise  out  of  them,  a  new  and  vast  source,  from  which  it 
could  derive  fresh,  and  an  almost  unlimited  extension  of  patronage,  and  of 
course  of  power.  Garnish  it  how  parties  please,  this  is  the  simple  and 
naked  fact.  No  man  can  deny  it,  no  one  can  give  any  other  reason  for  the 
present  bill.  What  is  the  case  with  the  other  or  companies'  side.  Briefly 
this ;  they  have  laid  out  a  great  deal  of  money,  have  had  a  great  deal  to 
contend  with,  have  hitherto  received  but  little  return,  and  of  course  now 
when  railways  are  beginning  to  show  symptoms  of  repaying  them  for  their 
trouble,  loss  and  anxiety,  they  are  very  anxious  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their 
enterprize,  and  the  management  of  their  property.  If  left  undisturbed,  they 
find  they  can  do  both  with  advantage  to  themselves  and  the  public.  They 
say,  and  very  truly,  "  if  it  had  not  been  for  us,  these  lines  would  not  have 
been  made,  and  why,  therefore,  when  we  have  risked  and  done  so  much, 
are  we  to  be  dispossessed  of  them?"  That  the  government  would  not  have 
made  them  is  certain,  for  when  the  companies  were  in  difficulties,  and  many 
of  them  in  danger  of  being  obliged  to  abandon  their  works,  it  would  not 
nelp  them  with  the  smallest  donation  or  even  loan.  Is  it  just  then,  that  it 
should  enjoy  that  which  it  neither  created  or  assisted  ?  That  it  shoukl 
wrench  from  enterprizing  individuals,  the  work  of  their  hands,  the  moment 
it  bids  fair  to  repay  them  for  their  labor  and  risk  ?     Where  do  we  find  a 


•78  English  Railway  Bill. 

parallel  to  this  ?  Men  have  hitherto  been  allowed  to  reap  that  which  they 
have  sown,  and  the  success  of  their  labors  has  always  been  considered  ex- 
clusively and  sacredly  their  own.  Government  has  never  interfered  with 
mercantile  speculations,  but  has  been  satisfied  with  that,  which  it  must  have 
one  way  or  the  other,  from  direct  or  indirect  taxation  of  successful  enter- 
prize.  Private  enterprize  has  justly  been  regarded  as  the  body  and  soul  of 
the  prosperity  of  the  country,  and  for  that  reason  has  always  been  encour- 
aged, and  its  results  respected.  The  present  is  the  first  instance  within  the 
compass  of  our  knowledge,  of  the  executive  thinking  to  intermeddle  with  it. 
A  new  light  has,  however,  now  broken  in  upon  the  ministry.  It  is  consid- 
ered advisable,  that  her  majesty  should  become  coach-mistress-general  and 
carrier-in-chief  of  the  country.  All  the  engine  drivers  and  stokers  and 
guards  and  ticket  takers  and  clerks  and  porters,  are  to  hold  their  appoint- 
ments direct  from  the  royal  hand,  and  the  minister  of  the  day  to  have  the 
patronage  of  the  appointments.  To  accomplish  so  desirable  an  object,  good 
old  customs  are  to  be  broken  through,  private  rights  are  to  be  trampled  on 
and  the  sanctity  of  property  violated. 

"  The  advocates  of  this  measure  may  contend  that  the  sole  object  is  to  inter- 
fere with  the  future  lines  only.  We  admit  that  is  the  professed  and  ostensi- 
ble object,  but  like  their  profession  of  non-interference  it  is  all  a  hollow 
sound.  The  real  object  is  the  possession  of  all  the  railways,  and  the  pres- 
ent are  to  be  reached  through  the  future.  No  man  doubts  this  now,  it  is  too 
clear  and  transparent.  We  have  long  seen  ar.d  long  taught  it,  but  were 
not  believed.  Our  hints  and  warnings  were  looked  upon  as  idle  croakings 
and  therefore  disregarded,  but  now  there  is  but  one  view,  one  sentiment,  one 
opinion  among  all  men.  They  all  see  and  all  acknowledge  that  the  gov- 
ernment obj(?ct  is  to  seize  the  railways,  not  for  the  sake  of  doing  good,  but 
for  the  sake  of  the  patronage,  and  to  have  the  key  and  control  of  all  our 
movements.  How  far  this  is  desirable,  and  the  use  that  may  be  made  of  it, 
may  be  judged  of  from  the  late  creditable  transactions  in  the  post  office. 

"  Here  is  one  point  of  view  in  which  we  wish  the  public  to  consider  the 
consequences  of  the  Slate  getting  possession  of  the  railways.  The  public 
has  lately  seen  how  mi;ch  the  sanctity  of  the  seal  is  respected  and  if  the 
railways  get  into  the  hands  of  the  government,  it  may  soon  find  that  the 
boasted  liberty  of  locomotion  will  be  ju.st  about  as  much  valued.  It  is 
impossible  to  enumerate  the  uses  to  which  the  possession  of  the  railways 
in  the  hands  of  a  jealous  or  arbitrary  government  may  be  turned.  In 
times  of  election  they  would  be  powerful  instruments  in  obstructing  this  re- 
turn or  forwarding  that,  and  consequently  in  controlling  the  elections  and 
filling  the  house  of  commons  with  just  such  members  as  may  be  wanted. 
We  recommend  the  public  well  to  look  to  this  side  of  the  subject  before  it 
urges  on  an  event  it  may  have  so  much  occasion  hereafter  to  repent. 

"  Again,  with  regard  to  the  fares,  the  public  is  tickled  with  the  notion  that 
if  the  government  had  the  railways,  travelling  would  be  much  cheaper.  A 
greater  mistake  never  was  made.  It  is  true  all  the  government  might  care 
about  would  be  the  covering  of  the  expenses,  and  the  return  of  the  low  rate 
of  interest  at  which,  on  the  State  security,  the  money  may  be  raised.  But 
then  the  government  management  of  everything  it  takes  in  hand  is  so  no- 
toriously costly,  that  there  would  be  at  least  double  the  persons  to  do  the 
work  of  the  present.  Men  who  get  into  government  situations  do  not  ex- 
pect to  work,  but  simply  to  receive  their  salary.  What  said  a  well  paid 
government  official  to  a  friend  of  ours  sometime  since,  who  was  comple- 
menting him  on  the  goodiiess  of  his  post?  "  There  is  more  trouble  in  it, 
•if,  than  you  are  aware  of     Besides  paying  a  deputy  I  am  obliged  to  sign 


:■■'-■■     *'  English  Railteay  Bitlb{  ;       ; ;      :.l|BPi 

my  name  four  times  a  year  to  receipts  for  my  salary."  Thus  it  is  with  go- 
vernment officials,  and  thus  it  is  the  expenses  of  everything  it  takes  in  hand 
are  increased.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  if  the  present  railways  were 
in  the  hands  of  the  government,  that  the  expenses  of  working  them  would 
be  doubled  or  tripled.  The  saving,  therefore,  in  interest  would  be  much 
more  than  swallowed  up  in  the  expenses,  and  the  executive,  supposing  it 
had  the  most  cordial  desire  to  benefit  the  public  by  cheaper  travelling  would 
be  unable  to  do  it,  or  if  it  did  the  chance  is  that  the  public  would  have  to 
make  up  deficiencies  by  other  taxes.  If  ministers  are  wise  they  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  commercial  matters,  and  if  they  are  inclined  to,  the  pub- 
lic will  act  wisely  to  check  and  prevent  them. 

"  We  have  an  example  of  the  expense  of  State  management  in  the  Bel- 
gian railways.  There,  though  the  management  is  under  the  most  econom- 
ical arrangement,  the  expenses  much  exceed  ours,  which  are  yet  far  from 
reduced  to  their  minimum.  What,  then,  would  the  working  expenses  be 
under  our  notoriously  costly  executive?  We  repeat,  if  the  State  take  rail- 
ways into  its  keeping,  the  public  will  have  cause  to  repent  it,  not  only  as 
furnishing  the  government  with  a  new  and  dangerous  instrument  of  control 
but  as  putting  into  its  hands  matters  which  it  would  be  unable  to  manage 
economically,  and  which  would  therefore,  in  all  probability,  entail  i!j;on  the 
country  a  loss  in  proportion  to  its  magnitude. 

"But  the  principle  of  the  bill  is  not  more  unjust,  than  are  its  clauses 
monstrous  and  unheard  of  If,  after  15  years  from  passing  the  act  of  any 
railway,  its  profits  should  exceed  10  per  cent.,  the  board  of  trade  may  lower 
the  tolls.  And  if  it  finds  it  has  gone  too  far,,  and  reduced  the  profits  below 
10  per  cent.,  it  may  elect  between  raising  them  and  paying  the  deficiency 
below  10  per  cent,  out  of  the  public  purse.  To  the  latter  part  the  railways 
could  not  object;  it  is, for  the  public  to  consider  how  far  it  is  palateable  to 
itself  to  pay  for  ihe  board  of  trade  errors.  But  here  also  comes  in  another 
most  iniquitous  clause,  namely,  that  the  board  of  trade  is  to  have  the  sole 
power  of  deciding  whether  the  management  of  the  railway  is  economical, 
and  to  make  deductions  accordingly  from  the  expenses.  So  that  the  board 
of  trade  is  first  to  curtail  the  profits,  and  then  to  be  sole  judges  of  the  econ- 
omy of  management  1"  . 

A  deputation  consisting  of  the  representatives  of  29  railway  companies, 
the  united  capitals  of  which  exceed  £50,000,000  presented  the  following: 

"  Statement  of  a  few  prominent  reasons  against  the  measure." 

"  This  bill  is  objected  to, — 

"  1.  Because  its  provisions  are  not  called  for  by  any  complaint  on  the 
part  of  the  public,  expressed  by  petition  or  otherwise,  with  reference  to  the 
matters  to  which  it  relates. 

"  2.  Because  it  is  introduced  at  so  late  a  period  of  the  session,  and  so 
closely  following  the  voluminous  reports  and  evidence  on  which  it  is  alleged 
to  be  founded,  as  to  render  it  quite  impossible  that  its  provisions  should  have 
sufficient  considerations  either  by  the  legislature  or  by  the  parties  afifected 
by  it. 

"  3.  Because  the  bill  (taken  in  connection  with  the  reports  and  the  reso- 
lutions therein  proposed  to  be  adopted  as  standing  orders)  is  obviously  in- 
tended to  vest  in  a  department  of  the  government  a  power  of  interference 
with,  and  undue  control  over,  all  existing  as  well  as  future  railways,  by  en- 
abling them  to  foster  and  encourage  competition  in  all  cases  where  existing 
companies  will  not  submit  to  any  terms  and  conditions,  however  stringont 
or  rumous,  which  may  be  sought  to  be  imposed  on  them  ;  and  by  enabling 


«80  ;      English  Railway  BilL 

them  also,  if  they  think  fit,  to  become  themselves  the  proprietors  of  all  new 
and  competing  lines  of  railway. 

"  4.  Because  such  a  proposal  is  at  variance  with  the  principles  which 
have  hitherto  governed  the  legislature  of  the  country  in  its  conduct,  not  only 
towards  railways  but  towards  all  similar  undertakings,  and  would  have  the 
effect  of  shaking  the  public  confidence  and  security  for  the  future  in  all 
such  undertakings,  and  in  all  privileges  granted  by  the  legislature. 

"  5.  Because  the  exclusive  application  of  such  a  bill  to  railways  only  is 
obviously  most  unjust. 

"  6.  Because  an  unheard-of  power  would  be  vested  by  the  bill  in  the  go- 
vernment, giving  rise  to  a  system  of  private  solicitation  and  influence,  and 
possibly  to  the  exercise  of  undue  partiality,  in  matters  which  have  hitherto 
come  openly  and  exclusively  under  the  cognisance  of  the  legislature. 

"  7.  Because  there  is  no  experience  in  this  country  to  justify  so  great  a 
change  in  the  system  of  legislation  with  reference  to  railways,  as  that  pro- 
posed and  the  experience  afforded  by  foreign  countries  only  demonstrates 
the  superiority  of  the  system  which  has  hitherto  prevailed  in  England,  where 
public  works,  promoted  by  private  enterprize  and  unfettered  by  government 
interference,  have  flourished  to  an  extent  unknown  elsewhere. 

"  8.  Because  there  is  no  pretence  for  such  government  interference  aris- 
ing out  of  misconduct  by  railway  companies,  or  undue  profits  realized  by 
them  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands,  that  the  undertakings 
under  their  charge  have  been  admirably  managed,  at  liberal  rates  to  the 
public,  and,  on  the  aggregate,  with  insufficiently  remunerative  profit  to 
themselves. 

"  9.  Because,  if  such  undertakings  were  vested  in  the  hands  of  the  gov- 
ernment, and  should  prove  unsuccessful,  the  loss  which  is  now  borne  by 
private  companies,  would  have  to  be  made  up  by  general  taxation  ;  nnd  it 
is  most  unfair  that  the  government,  as  proposed  by  the  bill,  should  have  an 
option  of  purchasing  only  those  undertakings  which  are  profitable,  and  re- 
jecting those  which  are  unprofitable. 

"  10.  Because  the  power  to  reduce  the  charges  of  companies  paying  a 
dividend  of  10  per  cent,  under  the  guarantee  of  maintaining  that  dividend, 
would  leave  the  company  to  whom  such  guarantee  should  be  granted,  with- 
out further  inducement  to  meet  the  public  convenience,  and  thus,  while  the 
guarantee  in  case  of  deficient  revenue  would  have  to  be  made  good  by  the 
public,  they  would  be  worse  served  than  at  present. 

"  11.  Because  the  provisions  of  the  bill  which  give  immediate  power  to 
the  board  of  trade  to  regulate  third  class  trains,  are  inconsistent  with  the  ex- 
isting rights  of  railway  companies,  and  the  provisions  which  declare  that 
their  stations  shall  be  open  to  all  public  conveyances,  are  calculated  to  ben- 
efit only  a  small  section  of  the  community,  viz.,  the  hackney  cab  and  om- 
nibus proprietors,  to  the  manifest  inconvenience  and  annoyance  of  all  the 
rest  of  the  community,  and  would  tend  to  the  utmost  confusion,  extortion 
and  general  inconvenience. 

"  12.  Because  the  attempt  by  the  government  to  tamper  and  meddle  with 
undertakings  in  which  property  has  been  embarked,  on  the  security  of  pri- 
vileges granted  by  the  legislature,  tends  to  weaken  the  faith  and  security  of 
the  capitalist  in  those  undertakings,  and  to  induce  him  to  embark  his  pro- 
perty in  foreign  speculations,  to  the  infinite  detriment  of  this  country  :  and 
if  the  present  attempt  should  prove  successful,  it  would  afford  a  precedent 
for  others,  directed  not  only  against  railways  but  against  all  similar  un- 
dertakings." 


WELLAND    CANAI- 

It  appears  that  two-fifths  of  all  the  wheat  coming  this  year  from  the  west 
pass  through  the  Welland  canal,  but  only  one-fourth  of  this  quantity  goes 
to  Canada,  Wheat  for  Oswego  and  Ogdensburg  finds  a  shorter  route  by 
the  Welland  than  by  the  Erie,  besides  avoiding  transhipment.  Our  corres- 
;  pondent  on  the  "  Canals  of  Canada"  has  uniformly  considered  this  as  a 
V  work  of  more  importance  to  New  York  than  to  Canada  and  the  trade  this 
year  will  bear  out  that  view.  Some  years  since,  in  an  article  on  the  "  Spring 
Trade,"  he  went  so  far  as  to  place  the  Welland  canal  at  the  head  of  all 

-  routes  for  early  freight  to  the  west,  by  way  of  Albany,  if  the  New  York 
railways  could  only  carry  freight ;  and,  as  they  now  have  this  privilege, 
though  to  a  very  limited  extent  and  with  exceedingly  heavy  pecuniary  im- 

.  positions,  we  shall  soon  see  whether  the  merchants  of  Boston  and  New 
^  York  will  avail  themselves  of  the  new  route  for  early  freight,  via  Oswego 
.    and  the  Welland  canal,  the  western  terminus  of  which  is  to  the  westward 

-  of  Dunkirk,  besides  being  on  the  windward  side  of  the  lake,  thus  ofTering 
in  late  seasons  an  earlier  route  by  canal  than  can  be  furnished  by  any  rail- 
way in  the  State  of  New  York.  Such  at  least  are  the  views  of  the  corret- 
pondent  alluded  to. 

The  Welland  canal  will  however  become  doubly  important  to  New 
York,  should  a  drawback  be  allowed  by  our  government.     Then  will  Up* 
per  Canada  receive  nearly  all  her  supplies  via  New  York  and  Oswego, 
and  the  people  on  the  borders  of  lake  Huron  will  receive  their  spring  goods 
some  weeks  before  the  arrival  of  the  first  ship  at  Montreal.     Indeed  that 
city  itself  may  be  reached  via  Oswego  and  the  St.  Lawrence  about  two 
weeks  before  that  period  :  and,  it  is  very  certain,  that  the  entire  Upper  pro- 
:    vince  will  be  tributary  to  New  York  as  soon  as  a  little  common  sense  can 
■■'  be  infused  into  congress.     Fearful  odds,  it  will  be  said,  but  we  are  not  with- 
out hope.     Now  our  correspondent  who  is  well  acquainted  with  the  trade 
;   of  the  Erie  canal  and  of  the  St  Lawrence  says  that  all  the  dovm  froight 
must  go  by  the  river  to  Montreal  and  if  all  or  nearly  all  the  up  freight 
•hould  go  by  way  of  Oswego,  what  are  the  canals  on  the  St  Lawrenee 
to  do? 

Had  our  Canadian  neighbors  built  the  Great  Western  rail«ray  trota 
Hamilton  to  Detroit  they  would  have  had  a  work  which  would  have  jrield- 
ed  a  surplus  the  first  year,  and  which  would  have  made  us  tributary  to  them ; 
but  there  is  no  accounting  for  tastes.  The  following  extract  does  not  state 
the  tolls  received  in  1842  and  1843.     We  believe  they  have  little  if  at  ail 

►  exceeded  $100,000,  the  interest  on  two  millions  or  half  the  estimated  cost 
of  the  canal.     It  was  not  till  the  year  1839  that  the  Erie  canal  had  paid 

■  expenses  and  interest,  that  is  thirteen  years  after  its  opening.  On  the  other 
hand  the  four  railways  from  Schenectady  to  Rochester  paid  from  the  begin- 

■-t  aiog,  though  not  allowed  te  compete  with  the  canal  in  the  transportation  «i 

/height. 


282  Welland  Canal. 

"  The  Welland  Canal  and  Us  Business. — The  Buffalo  Commercial  of 
Saturday  gives  this  description  of  the  Welland  canal  and  of  its  business  in 
the  transportation  of  American  produce. 

"  The  work  is  38  miles  long  10  feet  deep,  and  has  a  large  number,  some     ' 
forty  locks  to  overcome  a  rise  of  360  feet  existing  between  Port  Dalhousie 
on  lake  Ontario,  and  Port  Colborn,  on  lake  Erie. 

"  The  total  business  of  the  Welland  canal  for  1840  and  1841,  was 

1840.  1641. 

Flour,  -  .  Bbls.  -  186.864  193,137 

Beef  and  pork,       •  -  «        .  .         14,889  24,195 

Wheat,  -  -  bush.  -  1,720,660         1,212,460 

Corn,         -  -  .  ««        .  .        27,088  90,160 

Staves,  ....         1,623,000        2,725,000 

"  Among  the  items  going  towards  the  west,  were — 
Salt,      -  .  -  bbls.  .'  163,030  149,337 

Merchandize,  -  •       tons       -  -  2,770  3,718 

Tolls  received,  •  -  ^     -  £18,037  £18,583    I 

"  The  quantity  of  a  few  leading  articles  exported  from  the  port  of  Cleve-    ; 
land  alone,  throguh  that  channel,  was —  1842.  1843. 

Wheat,  -  -  bush.  -  380.684  90,689 

Corn,         -  -  .         ««        .  .         59,670  78,481 

Flour,  -  .  bbls.  -  94,248  49,360 

Pork  and  beef.         -  .         «         .  .  40,098  5,000    . 

Total  value  of  all  exports^  -  -        $1,017,000         $357,400    ; 

"This  season  the  shipments  from  Cleveland  have  been  very  heavy,  and 
will  doubtless  exceed  those  of  1842. 

"A  partial  and  satisfactory  view  so  far  as  it  goes,  may  be  had  of  the  ex- 
tent of  the  shipment  by  the  Welland  canal  this  season,  obtained  from  the 
8t.  Catharines,  W.  C,  Journal : 

"  The  amount  of  wheat  entering  this  season  at  Port  Colbum  up  to  the 
22d  July  was  865,024  bushels,  of  which  657,429  bushels  were  for  Oswego 
and  Ogdensburgh,  and  the  remainder  as  follows — 

St.  Catharines.  Kingston.  Gr&nanoque.  Total. 

Wheat  bushels,  09,329  57,607  60,799  207,656 

the  duty  on  which  at  9  cts.  a  bushel,  amounts  to  £4,672,  which,  added  to 
the  sum  collected  on  flour,  pork,  and  other  products,  cannot  fail  to  give  an 
increase  of  revenue  far  beyond  any  former  period.     This  exhibit  must  be   -. 
of  considerable  interest  to  the  trade,  and  we  shall  look  with  much  anxiety 
for  further  movements." 

Since  the  above  was  in  type,  we  have  seen  in  the  papers  an  article  from     ' 

the  St.  Catharine's  Journal  in  which  the  editor  says: —  c 

"  Welland  Canal. —  In  our  last  number  we  gave  a  brief  statement  of  the  - 
unprecedented  and  rapid  increase  of  the  trade  of  lake  Erie,  and  the  small 
proportion  of  it  as  yet  secured  for  Canada,  by  the  St.  Lawrence.  But  we 
have  no  doubt  that  the  efforts  now  making — by  the  improvement  of  our 
water  communications — to  divert  this  commerce  into  its  natural  channel, 
will,  ere  long,  be  crowned  with  success." 

Did  not  our  modesty  interfere  we  would  recommend  our  Canadian  neigh- 
bors to  take  the  Railroad  Journal,  when  they  would  no  longer  talk  such 
nonsense.  The  "natural  channel"  is  that  which  takes  the  wheat  where  it 
is  wanted  and  the  wheat  passing  via  the  Erie  canal  is  for  consumption  in 
this  country.     There  are  of  course  a  few  hundred  thousand  barrels  shipped 


10  South  America,  England  and  the  West  Indies,  but  not  enough  sensibly 
to  affect  the  income  of  the  Erie  canal.  Now  how  is  the  million  of  bar- 
rels shipped  to  Boston  to  reach  that  port  via  the  St.  Lawrence?  It  has  al- 
ready been  explained  over  and  over  again,  that  the  trade  via  the  St.  Law- 
rence is  in  addition  to  that  of  the  Erie  canal,  and  the  insignificant  amount 
of  produce  taking  the  former  route  shows  the  smallness  of  the  demand  in 
Montreal  and  is  in  no  degree  influenced  by  the  cost  of  transportation  from 
lake  Ontario  to  Montreal — 30  to  35  cts.  per  barrel — an  amount  insufficient 
to  affect  the  demand  to  any  extent.  Were  flour  carried  now  for  15  cts.  per 
barrel  from  Kingston  to  Montreal  it  would  not  add  one  hundred  thousand 
barrels  to  the  trade  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  But  twelve  years  unremitting  at- 
tention to  these  matters  has  taught  us  the  almost  impossibility  of  projecting 
works  to  be  executed  at  the  expense  of  the  public  with  any  degree  of  in- 
telligence and  skill,  or  conducting  them  with  the  economy,  order  and  meth- 
od so  necessary  to  insure  success.  As  long  as  the  money  holds  out  the  po- 
litical adventurers  will  cry  out  for  more  and  backed  by  their  political  engi- 
neers will  succeed  as  they  have  in  New  York,  in  saddling  the  people  with 
an  enormous  debt  and  a  lot  of  preposterous  works,  such  as  the  Chenango, 
Black  river,  Genesse  valley  canals  and  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie,  on  '- 
which  20  millions  have  been  spent  and  which  will  require  20  millions 
more  to  complete  them,  the  interest  to  be  paid  by  taxation. 


•izi-,- 


*^  BEAtTHARNOIS     CANAI..  '  i'   - 

Some  astounding  developements   have  taken   place  with  reference  to 
this  portion  of  the  St.  Lawrence  canal.     Those  of  our  readers  who  see  the 
"Civil  Engineer,"  the  organ  of  the  profession   in  England,  may  recollect 
an  article  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Casey,  on  the  "  Canadian  Board  of  Works," 
(Feb.  1843,)  in  which  he  places  their  integrity  on  a  par  with  their  capaci- 
ty.     We  now  see  it  openly  announced  in  London  that  a  notorious  personage  . 
of  the  name  of  Wakefield,  who  figured  some  16  years  since  in  a  most 
infamous  abduction  case,  was  paid  $60,000  for  securing  the  construction 
of  the  canal  on  the  south  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  through  the  property 
of  a  company  at  one  of  whose  meetings  the  above  statement  was  made  by 
the  directors !     Log-rolling  is  nothing  to  this.     We  console  on rselves  to 
some  small  extent  with  the  idea  that  the  profession  is  not  responsible  for  - 
this  barefaced  bribery.     That  is,  we  hope  that  the  Engineer,  Mr.  Hamilton  ' 
H.  Killaly,  through  whom  this  was  effected,  will  turn  out  to  be  no  engi- 
neer  at  all.     Indeed  we  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible  that  he  should  be,  when  .7 
neither  the  Editor  nor  the  readers  of  the  "  Civil  Engineer"  have  answered 
Mr.  Casey's  inquiry  of  September  last  as  to  the  standing  of  Mr.  K.  in  his 
own  country.      Within  a  few  days  we  have  seen  one  of  his  most  important 
papers  and  such  a  document  never  emanated  from  any  other  engineer — iS 
he  be  one — as  all  will  admit  who  see  this  extraordinary  production.    Taken  j. 
in  connection  with  the  $60,000,  the  "  modus  operandi"  of  placing  the  canal . 
ott-the  south  or  Beauharnois  side  is  traced  with  a  pencil  of  light..  . 


9Bi  Prince  De  Joinville^s  Pamphlet 

But  we  will  always  show  fair  play,  and  if  any  of  our  readers  can  refer 
us  to  any  canal  or  railway  in  England  or  Ireland,  however  small,  construc- 
ted under  the  direction  of  Mr.  H.  H.  Killaly,  we  will  cheerfully  insert  an 
account  of  it  in  our  columns  and  thus  answer  in  part  Mr.  Casey's  adver- 
tisement of  Mr.  K.  (for  such  it  is)  in  the  "  Civil  Engineer,"  the  readers  of 
which  Journal  are  obviously  at  fault,  though  they  of  course  comprise  the 
entire  profession  in  England  and  Ireland,  and  though  Mr.  Killaly  speakt 
of  his  "  long  professional  career."  They  certainly  ought  to  be  known  to 
each  other.  We  may  perhaps  introduce  Mr.  K.  to  the  profession  in  the 
United  States  in  another  number  by  means  of  some  extracts  which,  our 
readers  will  be  forced  to  admit  are  somewhat  different  from  anything  they 
have  ever  seen. 


PRINCE    DE   JOINVILLE's   PAMrHLET. 


The  Prince's  pamphlet  on  the  importance  of  a  steam  navy  to  France  is 
published  at  length  (translated)  in  the  Civil  Engineer's  Journal  for  July. 
The  editor  very  truly  says  that  the  Prince  is  a  person  of  much  common 
sense  when  he  pleases  and — when  not  speaking  for  "  Buncombe"  which  is 
pretty  nearly  the  American  for  "young  France" — the  tone,  style  and  man- 
ner of  investigation  are  those  of  a  truly  practical  man,  well  versed  in  his  pro- 
fession and  who  has  given  much  attention  to  the  higher  departments  of  the 
service.  It  is  of  interest  to  us  as  showing  the  important  part  which  the 
civil  engineer  is  to  play  in  another  war,  and,  still  more  so  from  the  great 
stress  which  the  Prince  lays  on  the  importance,  indeed  the  necessity  of  en- 
couraging private  enterprize  and  not  trusting  to  government  establishments 
the  difficult  and  complicated  machinery  of  men-of-war  steamers.  We 
make  a  few  extracts. 

"  One  fact  of  immense  import,  which  has  been  accomplished  of  late  years, 
has  given  us  the  means  of  raising  our  fallen  naval  power,  and  of  making 
it  re-appear  under  a  new  form,  admirably  adapted  to  our  resources  and  na- 
tional genius. 

"  This  fact  is  the  institution  and  progress  of  steam  navigation. 

"  Our  navy  could  only  be  an  artificial  creation  when  the  empire  of  the 
soa  belonged  to  the  one  who  put  afloat  the  most  seamen.  Our  ruined  mer- 
cantile navy  no  longer  furnished  us  seamen  enough  ;  we  should  have  vain- 
ly struggled  to  avenge  affronts,  to  efface  melancholy  remembrances ;  but 
when  even  temporary  success  had  attested  the  courage  of  our  seamen,  num- 
bers would  in  the  end  have  stifled  our  exertions.  The  steam  navy  has 
changed  the  face  of  everything  ;  now  it  is  our  military  resources  which  are 
about  to  take  the  place  of  our  impoverished  naval  personnel.  We  shall 
always  have  enough  officers  and  seamen  to  perform  the  part  still  open  to 
a  seaman  on  board  a  steamer.  Machinery  will  supply  the  place  of  hun- 
dreds of  arms,  and  I  need  not  say  that  we  shall  never  want  money  to  con- 
struct engines,  still  less  that  we  shall  never  want  soldiers  when  the  honor 
of  the  country  is  to  be  maintained. 

"  With  a  steam  navy,  the  most  audacious  war  of  aggression  is  permitted 
by  sea.  We  are  sure  of  our  movements,  unshackled  in  our  actions.  TimC; 
weather,  tide,  no  longer  disturb  us.     We  can  calculate  to  the  day  and  hour." 

"  In  all,  England  now  reckons  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  steamer*. 


'      .  ;^       Prince  De  Joinville^s  Pamphlet  ■:H        286 

Of  this  number,  seventy-seven  are  armed,  and  to  these  must  be  added  two 
hundred  steamboats  of  superior  quality,  fit  for  carrying  heavy  guns  and 
troops,-  which  the  merchant  navy  could  furnish  to  the  State  on  the  very  day 
they  were  wanted.  r 

That  is  not  all :  to  form  an  idea  of  the  real  force  of  this  steam  fleet,  we 
must  have  seen  close  at  hand  how  formidable  its  equipment  is,  we  must 
have  seen  the  care  and  skilful  foresight  with  which  everything  has  been  de- 
signed. The  English  war-steamers  have  not  been  designed  warranted  good 
for  every  kind  of  service  without  distinction,  in  their  construction  only  one 
idea,  one  end  has  been  in  view — war.  They  conjoin  with  a  marvelous  fit- 
ness for  sea  purposes,  high  speed,  powerful  artillery  and  plenty  of  stowage 
for  passenger  troops." 

"  What  they  particularly  wanted  was  to  be  employed  on  stations  where 
they  could  be  put  in  comparison  with  foreign  vessels.  This  inconvenience 
together  with  the  prejudices  exclusively  prevailing  in  favor  of  the  sailing 
navy,  was  the  reason  why  thg  progress  of  our  steam  fleet  from  1830  to  1840 
was  so  nil.  Science  however  had  progressed.  The  royal  navy  of  Eng- 
land having  leisure  for  experiments,  and  further,  having  under  its  eyes  a 
merchant  steam  navy  in  which  number  and  competition  produced  daily  pro- 
gress, turned  out  some  magnificent  vessels." 

"  By  an  excess  of  foresight  too  common  with  us,  the  administration  has 
thought  fit  first  of  all  to  create  repairing  establishments  for  the  new  navy. 
In  all  our  ports  now  rice  magnificent  factories  enclosed  in  stately  monuments. 
These  factories  are  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  the  damage,  and  providing 
for  the  wants  of  the  steam  navy,  and  this  navy  is  only  in  its  infancy. 

"  However  as  these  large  factories  cannot  be  left  without  employment  nor 
the  workmen  without  work ;  as  besides  in  the  nature  of  things,  all  the 
Steamers  we  have  are  employed  at  Toulon,  and  that  there  are  only  steamers 
to  repairs  at  that  place,  what  has  been  done  with  the  factories  constructed  in 
the  ports  of  the  ocean?     They  have  been  employed  in  manufacturing  en- 

Sines,  instead  of  giving  the  contracts  for  them,  as  a  premium  to  private  in- 
ustry. 
"  We  had  already  Indret  and  its  costly  productions.     Was  it  necessary 
to  add  to  this  luxury  of  establishments?     Was  it  requisite  to  employ  the 
money  destined  for  the  increase  and  improvement  of  the  fleet,  in  raising 
monuments  of  which  the  iinmediate  utility  is  far  from  being  demonstrated? 

"  We  have  always  been  inclined  to  increase  without  limit  the  immovables 
of  the  navy,  to  the  detriment  of  everything  efficacious  and  active  in  the  de- 
partment. It  would  be  good  to  try  the  other  plan,  and  I  am  convinced  that 
we  should  readily  find  the  means  of  arming  a  true  steam  fleet  and  encour- 
aging a  useful  trade,  by  requiring  from  private  establishments,  fine  and  good 
machines,  such  as  they  know  how  to  produce.  c 

"  If  I  were  here  to  trace  the  true  state  of  our  steam  navy,  if  I  were  to 
say  that  of  this  number  of  forty-three  steamers  afloat  borne  on  the  budget, 
there  are  not  six  fit  to  compare  with  the  English  vessels,  I  should  not  be 
believed,  and  I  should  still  have  asserted  the  strict  truth.  The  greater  num- 
ber of  our  vessels  belong  to  that  class  good  in  1830,  when  they  were  turned 
out,  but  now,  most  certainly  much  behind  present  improvement.  These 
vessels  subjected  in  the  Mediterranean  to  a  navigation  without  repose,  have 
almost  all  reached  a  premature  old  age.  As  I  pointed  out  just  now  they 
are  no  longer  suflicient  for  the  service  of  Algiers  and  the  political  missions 
on  which  they  are  sent,  for  want  of  better  vessels.  The  officers  who  com- 
mand them  blush  at  seeing  themselves  weak  and  powerless,  I  will  not  say 


.^■.«;,.f' 


';■  Herapalh^s  Railway  Magazine. 

alongside  the  English  ouly,  but  the  Russians,  the  Americans,  the  Dutch, 
the  Neapolitans,  who  have  better  s-teaniers  than  ours." 

"  Perhaps  the  use  of  the  screw,  by  leaving  the  steamer  all  the  power  of 
a  sailing  vessel,  will  some  day  produce  a  change  in  the  state  of  things. 
Steam  will  then  become  a  powerful  auxiliary  to  our  cruisers,  but  this  alli- 
ance of  sail  and  steam  would  change  nothing  as  to  what  I  have  before  laid 
down.  The  steamer  destined  to  serve  in  squadron  or  on  our  coasts,  should 
always  have  a  high  speed,  by  steam  alone,  as  the  first  means  of  success." 

Omitting  the  appeals  to  the  worst  passions  of  the  French,  their  "  love  of 
glory"  as  they  call  it,  but  their  insatiable  desire  for  plunder  as  it  is  only  too 
well  known  to  be  by  most  nations  and  certainly  by  the  American  commei' 
cial  marine,  omitting  this  which  the  Prince  has  probably  introduced  as  a 
matter  of  necessity  rather  than  of  taste,  we  think  his  views  compare  very 
favorably — indeed  they  completely  overturn  the  position  of  the  spirited  but 
unfortunate  Captain  Stockton,  who  had  the  egrfigious  vanity  to  imagine  and 
even  to  announce,  just  before  the  terrible  disaster  at  Washington,  that  the 
discoveries  and  improvements  introduced  in  the  Princeton  would  change 
the  entire  system  of  naval  warfare  and  wotild  put  the  weakest  nation  on  the 
ocean  on  a  level  with  the  most  powerful  ?  The  Prince  shows,  though  he 
does  not  admit  it,  that  steam  has  actually  increased  the  relative  power  of 
England,  and  it  is  easy  for  us  to  gather  from  his  statements  that,  in  six 
months,  the  United  States  would  be  more-  than  a  match  for  France,  as  re* 
gards  steamers^  owing  to  the  skill  and  immense  capabilities  of  our  private 
engineering  establishments. 

IIERAPATIl's    RAILWAY    MAGAZINE. 

We  are  indebted  to  some  kind  and  attentive  friend — for  such  we  must  con- 
sider him — for  copies  of  this  spirited  periodical,  immediately  on  the  arrival 
of  the  steamer.  We  have  in  this  number  an  article  on  "  Railway  Legisla- 
tion" and  can  give  no  stronger  proof  of  the  accuracy  of  the  editor's  views 
than,  that  all  and  more  than  all  the  evils  he  anticipates  from  the  interference 
of  the  governmrnt  there,  are  matters  of  fact  here  where  the  States  have 
taken  works  into  their  own  hands.  In  our  next  we  may  recur  to  this  sub- '. 
ject,  to  which  we  devoted  much  attention  some  time  since.  Indeed  a  long 
article  was  copied  from  the  Journal  into  the  III  volume  of  the  "  Civil  En- 
gineer," in  which  the  unhappy  effects  of  government  engineering  were 
pointed  out  and  where  the  editor  of  Herapath's  Railway  Magazine  will  ■ 
find  some  of  his  worst  suspicions  borne  out  by  our  experience.  There  is 
liule  probability  that  any  new  works  will  be  undertaken  by  the  States,  and 
at  this  moment  Canada  stands  alone  as  the  advocate  of  the  "  system"  which, 
in  the  case  of  the  Beauhamois  canal,  they  have  certainly  carried  out  with  " 
great  additions  if  not  improvements.  On  the  other  hand,  private  enterprize 
here  is  recovering  from  the  effects  of  its  long  struggle  with  the  State  gOT- 
ernments  and  railways  are  rapidly  extending  themselves  in  all  directions. 
Indeed  all  we  ask  is  to  be  "  let  alone,"  and  the  country  will  soon  have  rail- 
ways and  canals  of  the  firet  order  wherever  they  are  required,  and  that  toa 


Opening  of  the  Long  Island  Railroad. — RaUwof  Spied.      5887 

without  either  the  taxation  of  New  York  and  Canada  or  the  repudiation  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Michigan. 

OFENING   Oi:   THE   LONG    ISLAND   RAILROAD    TO   GREENPORT. 

On  Saturday,  Aug.  3d,  the  officers  and  directors  of  this  company  with  a 
very  large  number  of  invited  guests,  among  whom  were  the  corporations 
of  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  most  of  the  notabilities  of  Long  Island,  Jas. 
De  Peyster  Ogden,  prsident  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  the  officers  and 
directors  of  the  New  Jersey  railroads,  and  very  many  other  citizens,  amoun- 
ting probably  altogether  to  some  five  hundred  persons,  made  an  excursion 
to  Greenport  and  back  to  this  city. 

The  party  left  Brooklyn  at  8  o'clock  in  three  trains  of  cars  ;  the  leading 
train  making  only  two  stops,  arrived  at-Greenport  in  3  hours  and  35  mi- 
nutes ;  6  minutes  were  occupied  in  taking  on  wood  and  water,  thus  reducing 
the  the  tune  occupied  in  running  over  the  distance  of  95  miles  to  3  hours 
and  29  minutes-  The  engineer  expressed  an  opinion  that  with  the  new  lo- 
comotive now  building  by  the  company  he  will  be  able  to  run  over  the  road 
in  less  than  3  hours. 

Time  occupied  in  running  from  Brooklyn  to  Jamaica  23  minutes,  dis- 
tance 11  miler. 

Hicks  v  11  le, 

Farmingdale,  .... 

Stopped  for  wood  and  water,  -    • 

To  Deer  Park,  -  -  ,  - 

Thompson  station,  .  -  - 

Suffolk  station,  .... 

Medford  station,     -  -  -  . 

Carman's  river,  .... 

St.  George's  Manor,  ... 

Stopped  for  wood  and  water,    • 

Riverhead, 

Greenport,      .  .  -  i  - 

We  should  be  pleased  to  give  an  account  of  the  grades,  curves,  stations, 
engines,  cars  and  cost  of  the  road,  such  as  is  given  of  the  Central  road  in 
this  number.  The  trains  now  run  daily  to  Greenport  and  the  distance  to 
Boston  by  this  route  is  accomplished  in  about  10  hours.  The  company  are 
constiucting  a  tunnel  in  Brooklyn  in  order  to  dispense  with  the  use  of  hor- 
ses. They  go  now  thirty  miles  an  hour  with  sixteen  ton  engines.  A  pret- 
ty severe  trial  to  any  track  and  a  speed  they  will  find  it  difficult  to  keep  up. 

The  number  of  passengers  taking  this  route  is  very  great  and  we  only 
hope  our  anxiety  for  its  success  has  made  us  overrate  the  difficulties  to  be 
overcome  in  order  to  maintain  an  average  speed  of  30  miles  per  hour. 

RAILWAY    SPEED. 

In  our  last  week's  impression,  we  gave  a  circumstantial  account  of  the 
opening  of  tha  Darlington  and  Newcastle  railway,  which  completes  the 
line  of  communication  between  the  latter  town  and  London.  The  special 
train  which  conveyed  a  party  of  directors  and  friends  from  London  to  New- 
castle on  that  occasion,  accomplished  the  journey,  303  miles,  in  the  short 
space  of  nine  hours  and  thirty-two  minutes,  being  an  average  of  about  thir- 
ty-two miles  an  hour,  including  stoppages ;  but  as  this  naked  statement 


Houre. 

Minutes. 

Milea  dis. 

56 

26 

1 

6 

31 

3 

1 

21 

37 

-        1 

31 

43 

1 

35 

46 

-      2 

1 

65 

2 

13 

61 

.      2 

27 
3 

66 

2 

48 

74 

3 

35 

96 

Miles. 

Hours. 

Minutees. 

Rate  pr.  hr. 

83 

2 

11 

38  miles. 

49 

1 

22 

36     " 

63 

1 

28 

43     « 

24 

0 

37 

29     " 

45 

1 

13 

37     « 

39 

1 

20 

20     " 

303 

8 

11 

288       Beauharnois   Canal. — Nortotch   and   Worcester  Railroad. 

would  supply  a  very  inadequate  idea  of  the  actual  rates  of  progrew  on 
some  pans  of  the  line,  we  now  give  a  tabular  view  of  the  performance. 
The  train  left  the  Euston  square  station  at  3  minutes  past  5  in  the  morning 
and  reached  Newcastle  at  35  minutf-s  past  2  in  the  afternoon.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  distances  on  the  respective  portions  of  the  line,  the  time  consa- 
med  in  passing  over  each,  and  the  rate  per  hour  run: — 

London  to  Rugby  (Birmingham  line,) 
Derby,  (Midland  Counties,) 
Northampton,  (North  Midland,) 
York,  (York  and  North  Midland,) 
Darlington,  (Great  North  of  England,) 
Newcastle,  , 

Average  37  miles  an  hour. 

The  remaining  time,  1  hour  and  21  minutes,  was  consumed  in  stoppages. 
Of  course,  it  would  not  have  been  prudent  to  run  over  the  newly  opened 
portions  of  the  line  at  much  more  than  the  ordinary  speed ;  but  the  rate  of 
progress  upon  the  older  portions,  considering  the  distance,  is  really  aston* 
ishing,  that  on  the  North  Midland  especially  ;  and  we  believe  the  perform* 
ance  altogether  is  quite  unprecedented. — Leeds  {Eng.)  Mercury. 

BEAUHARNOIS    CANAL,     AGAIN. 

Little  did  we  think  when  penning  our  brief  article  on  this  canal  that  we 
should  so  soon  find  such  remarks  as  the  following  in  a  Canadian  paper. 

"  It  was  our  intention  to  have  occupied  our  leisure  during  these  dull  times 
with  an  exposure  of  that  most  horrible  and  scandalous  of  all  jobs,  the  Beau* 
harnois  canal,  having  acquired  information  to  an  extent  never  dreamt  of  by 
the  guilty  parties  concerned  in  the  nefarious  business,  but  the  truth  is,  we 
dare  not.  The  various  participators  in  the  lare  bribe  of  £12,500,  occnpy 
too  high  a  station  in  office  and  society  to  be  mfely  exposed,  even  whwi  a 
journalist  is  doing  a  public  duty  and  has  truth  on  his  side.  Nothing  but  a 
committee  of  the  Legislative  assembly  can  bring  this  iniquity  to  light."— 
British  Whig,  Kingston,  Aug.  9,  1844. 

NORWICH    AND    WORCESTER    RAILROAD. 

For  July,  the  increase  of  income  on  this  route  has  been  $9326,  or  aboof 
75  per  cent,  over  July  1843 ;  and  in  the  first  seven  months  of  this  year,  the 
gain  has  been  $40,000,  or  25  J  per  cent.  This  greatly  exceeds  the  ratio  of 
gain  on  the  Western,  and  if  continued  through  the  coming  five  months, 
will,  by  December  31st,  amount  to  $85,000,  and  added  to  the  surplus  of 
last  year  over  mterest  and  expenses  (which  was  $25,000)  will  give  a  net 
revenue  of  $110,000.  or  nearly  seven  per  cent,  on  the  capital  stock,  and 
will  leave  a  reasonable  reserve  fund  besides. — Bost.   Trans.. 


CONTENTS. 


Atmospheric  railway, 
Central  railrnad, 
Housatonir  railrnad  report, 
Railways  in  Mirhipan, 
On  plank  rnads  in  Canada, 
f>corc:>a  railrnad  report, 
Ruspensinn  aquednct. 
MortbMB  raiii  snis. 


Page.  rac*. 

2S8:Enf!Ush  railway  bill,  977 

267  Wetland  canal,  9B1 

270  Reauharnois  canal,  283,  988 

271  Prince  De  Jninville't  pamphlet,  2BI 
272 Heiapath's  Railway  Mai^zine,  98t 
273 Opening  nf  the  Long  Idaiid  railroad,  987 
276  Railway  sp«-ed,  SB7 

.     ^Wonrmv^  WoroMiMr  railroad.  ,       . |p 


'■"""■v^'-:'v, '  .--:.'.-"-^"!'>^S..  ^  '    "  '"^i-■K— ^:^^ 


AMERICAN 

RAILROAD  roURNAL,    ft 

AMD 


MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE. 


frrif 


'^t''t^^l-re:r.!ri:lv?nce;o?3"oge.^foT>^°^      j  D-  K.  MINOR,  EUUor. 

'*AJd-J^I..^i OCTOBER,  1844. j^vt.^"^^'  ; 

II.  "  ' «. 

READING     RAILRAOD. 

Mach  has  been  said,  written  and  published  in  relation  to  this  railroad, 
and  its  managers.     Bold  predictions  have  been  made  in  relation  to  its  dura- 
bility under  the  trade  which  it  is  destined  to  bear ;  and  as  to  its  ability  ta> 
compete  successfully  with  the  canal  for  the  coal  trade.     From  some  causOii 
to  a  stranger  wholly  inexplicable,  there  exists  in  the  minds  of  many  of  tjie ' 
wealthy  citizens  and  business  men  of  Philadelphia,  a  strong  prejudice  and 
opposition  to  the  work.     If  doubts  of  its  success,  or  predictions  of  its  fail-r 
ure,  or  even  curses  loud  and  long  could  have  suspended  its  progress,  k 
would  now  be  numbered  among  the  things  that  were;  and  notwithstanding 
the  great  benefits  which  it  has  already  conferred,  and  will  hereafter  confer, 
on  the  coal  consuming  community,  there  are  thousands  who  would  rejoic*' 
to  have  it  prove  a  total  failure.     It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  and  it  is  confi*- 
dently  believed  by  those  who  look  at  it  with  a  favorable  eye,  that  its  sue*,  ' 
cess  is  certain. 

This  work  was  projected  and  commenced  during  a  period  of  great  pros*, 
perity — but  like  many  others,  it  was  overtaken,  before  completion,  by  a  gen . ' 
eral  depression  of  trade  and  unparalleled  derangement  of  the  financial  af:  ' 
fairs  of  the  country  ;  and,  but  for  the  most  determined  perseverance  and  en- 
ergy of  its  friends,  it  would  probably  have  been  suspended  before  it  reached, ' 
the  coal  region,  thereby  rendering  the  part  completed  in  a  great  degree  value* 
less.     This,  to  many,  desirable  result,  was  avoided,  and  by  great  eflbrt  the 
road  was  opened  to  the  coal  region  in  1842,  in  which  year  49,000  tons  and 
in  1843  230,000  tons  of  coal,  besides  other  freight,  passed  over  it.     This 
year  the  coal  tonnage  will  not  fall  much  if  any,  short  of  450,000  tons,' 
which  will  make  the  aggregate  of  tonnage  over  the  road  since  its  comple-'' 
tioo  about  equal  to  1,000,000  upon  the  single  track  mainly.    In  consequence- 
of  having  but  one  track  completed  it  has  been  necessary  to  keep  up  a  high- 
er rate  of  speed,  with  the  coal  trains,  tran  is  considered  proper,  which  has 
be©»  to  some  extent  injurious  )fcp,the^^nuil8  J  yet,  on  an  examination  such  as 


i"* 


S90  Reading  Railroad. 


we  were  able  to  give,  at  the  various  stopping  places  in  passing  twice  over 
it,  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  most  of  the  rails  now  in  use  on  the  first  track 
will  sustain  a  further  tonnage  two  or  three  times  greater  than  has  already 
passed  over  them.  The  second  track,  more  than  half  of  which  is  com- 
pleted and  the  remainder  in  a  state  of  forwardness,  which  with  six  new  lo- 
comotives of  great  power,  and  a  large  number  of  new  iron  cars  of  impro- 
ved construction,  will  enable  the  company  to  increase  their  business  largely 
this  fall,  and  to  be  in  readiness  on  the  commencement  of  business  next  year 
to  work  at  much  greater  advantage  and  economy  than  they  have  hitherto 
done. 

The  new  track  is  laid  vvith  a  rail  of  60  lbs.  to  the  yard,  and  of  much 
better  form  than  that  first  laid  down,  having  at  least  double  the  thickness  or 
amount  of  metal,  in  the  tread^  thus  giving  it  greater  strength  and  durability. 

The  new  cars  are  of  iron  throughout,  and  of  capacity  to  contain  ^r«  tons 
instead  of  3J — the  capacity  of  the  wooden  cars — and  of  superior  form  and 
construction,  having  springs  at  the  connection,  thereby  relieving  them  to  a 
considerable  extent  from  the  effects  of  the  shock  in  starting  the  train,  which 
is  very  severe  when  the  train  consists  of  one  hundred  cars  with  375  to  400 
tons  of  coal,  which  is  now  a  common  load  for  the  new  engines. 

The  company  have  now  a  good  supply  of  locomotives  of  various  kinds, 
many  of  which  have  been  considered  of  great  power ;  one  made  by  Messrs. 
Baldwin,  Vail  and  Hufty,  took  a  train  of  100  cars,  or  a  gross  load  of  481 
tons  in  February  1841,  and  another  the  "  Monocacy,"  from  the  New  Cas- 
tle Manufacturing  Co.,  took  100  cars  with  335  tons  of  coal  at  a  load. 
These  and  others  in  use  on  the  road,  have  been  considered  superior  engines 
— but  those  recently  put  on,  the  "  United  States,"  the  "  New  England,"  the 
"  New  York"  and  the  "  Ontario,"  from  the  manufactory  of  Messrs.  Baldwin 
and  Whitney,  surpass  any,  it  is  believed,  that  have  heretofore  been  construc- 
ted in  this,  or  any  other  country.  They  are  called  16  ton  engines,  but  are 
somewhat  heavier,  and  are  on  six  wheels,  46  inches  diameter,  all  connected 
as  drivers  and  all  in  front  of  the  fire  box.  Cylinders  15  inches  diameter, 
and  18  inch  stroke.  The  boiler  has  137  tubes  12  feet  long,  1|  inch  diam- 
eter. The  calculated  maximum  load  750  tons — which  one  of  these,  the 
United  States,  has  performed  repeatedly,  it  is  said,  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August ;  and  with  such  ease  that  it  is  estimated  that  she  will  haul  on  a 
level  1000  tons,  gross. 

The  company  are  also  extending  their  wharves  and  depot  at  Richmond, 
on  the  Delaware,  so  as  to  accommodate  a  large  business.  Last  year  and 
the  early  part  of  this,  they  could  accommodate  and  load  at  the  same  time, 
from  15  to  20  vessels,  and  by  the  opening  of  next  season  they  will  be  able 
to  load  30  to  35  at  the  same  time ;  which,  with  the  completion  of  a  new 
branch  road,  from  Mount  Carbon,  ten  or  twelve  miles  up  the  valley  of  the 
Schuylkill  and  a  connection  with  the  Little  Schuylkill  railroad  at  Port 
Clinton,  by  which  a  large  additional  trade,  now  given  entirely  to  the  canal, 
for  want  of  connection  with  the  railroad,  will  ensure  a  vast  increase  of  bu- 


'^    :r  Baltimore  and  Susquehanna  Railroad.  -:    ^1 

siness  next  year.  Indeed  they  are  now,  in  their  unfinished  ccmdition,  with 
but  a  track  and  a  half,  short  of  cars  and  locomotive  power,  performing 
more  labor  thaa  any  other  railroad  in  the  wOrld !  They  are  at  this  lime 
hauling  over  190,000  tons,  one  mile  daily.  Where  is  the  other  road  doing 
as  much  ?  In  a  few  weeks  it  will  be  increased  to  250,000  tons ;  and  next 
season  to  a  much  larger  amount,  and  at  rates  much  lower  than  have  ever 
been  known  before ;  thus  reducing  the  cost  of  fuel  to  a  large  section  of 
country  on  the  sea  board,  and  along  the  navigable  rivers  and  canals,  to  an 
amount  not  less  than  one  and  a  half  or  two  millions  of  dollars  a  year — 
which,  in  five  or  six  years,  would  reimburse  its  entire  cost — and  contribu- 
ting to  the  comfort  and  necessities  of  millions  of  people,  and  yet  we  find  a 
greater  hostility  existing  against  it  in  its  vicinity  than  to  any  other  work  in 
Uie  country — to  be  accounted  for,  probably,  on  the  same  ground  that  the 
introduction  of  improved  machinery  is  often  resisted  in  the  manufacturing 
districts,  by  the  operatives — but  in  this  case  as  in  those,  experience  is  sure 
to  eflect  a  change  of  feeling  in  the  public  mind ;  and  the  Reading  railroad 
is  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  successful  enterprizes  of  the  ag& 

BALTIMORE   AND   SUSQUEHANNA   RAILROAD. 

'4.  The  enterprizing  citizens  of  Baltimore,  in  their  efibrts  to  secure  their  full 
share  of  the  western  trade,  have  accomplished  more  in  the  way  of  roadr 
and  railroads  than  any  other  equal  amount  of  population  in  this  country 
except  Boston.  Before  the  era  of  canals  and  railroads,  their  turnpikes  were 
at  least  equal,  if  not  superior,  both  in  extent  and  character,  to  those  emana*' 
ting  from  any  other  city  of  equal  population  in  the  Union  :  and  when  New 
York  had  completed  her  great  canal,  and  Pennsylvania  had  commenced 
her  improvements,  Maryland,  or  rather  Baltimore,  dashed  boldly  into  the 
then  almost  untried  railroad  system,  and  commenced  two  distinct  lines,  the 
Baltimore  and  Susquehanna  and  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroads,  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  western  trade.  From  thus  dividing  her  forces  many 
difficulties  have  arisen,  and,  although  much  has  been  accomplished,  the  great 
object  in  view,  viz.  to  reach  the  waters  of  the  Ohio  river,  has  not  yet  been 
attained  ;  of  course  all  the  advantages  anticipated  from  the  outlay  of  so 
much  capital  have  not  been  realized.  > 

The  route  adopted  by  the  Baltinfore  and  Susquehanna  railroad  company 
had  many^bstacles  to  be  surmounted,  including  two  summits  besides  much 
of  the  way  laying  through  deep  ravines,  requiring  many  sharp  curves  and  a 
greater  number  of  bridges,  we  believe,  than  on  any  other  road  in  the  coun- 
try, there  being  over  80  bridges  in  57  miles,  to  York.  It  was  undoubtedly 
the  intention  of  this  company  to  turn  in  a  westerly  direction  after  crossing 
the  Pennsylvania  line  and  thus  reach  Pittsburgh  by  a  continuous  railroad; 
but  not  being  able  to  accomplish  that  desirable  object  they  directed  their- 
course  towards  Columbia,  on  the  Susquehanna,  where  they  connect  with 
the  Pennsylvania  works — the  canals  westward  and  Columbia  and  Phila- 
delphia railroad  eastwaid  and  thus  open  an  easy  a^d  pleasant  communicar 


392  Papers  on  Practical  Engineering;'^ 

tion  between  Philadelphia  and  Bahimore  ;  and  although  the  distance  by 
this  route  is  somewhat  greater  between  the  two  cities  than  by  that  through 
Delaware,  yet  to  those  who  travel  to  enjoy  delightful  scenery  we  would 
heartily  recommend  the  route,  by  York,  Columbia  and  Lancaster  either  going 
or  coming,  and  thus  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  passing  through  some  of  the  most 
highly  cultivated  regions  and  beautiful  farms  of  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the 
same  time  through  some  of  the  wildest  and  most  picturesque  valleys  in 
Maryland.  Leaving  Baltimore  at  9  o'clock  A.M.  the  cars  arrive  at  Phil- 
adelphia at  about  7  P.M.     Fare,  $3,50  through. 

When  in  Baltimore  a  few  weeks  since,  we  were^  through  the  politienesi 
of  the  president  of  the  company,  invited  to  accompany  the  directors  over 
the  road  to  York  and  Columbia,  which  enabled  us  to  form  some  opinion  of 
the  extent  of  their  operations,  their  system  of  police  and  the  character  of 
their  engines,  cars,  etc. 

On  leaving  the  office  in  North  street,  the  cars  are  moved  by  horse  power 
for  more  than  a  mile,  until  they  arrive  at  the  main  depot  and  machine  shop, 
quite  out  of  the  city.  Here  an  exchange  of  horses  is  made  and  one  of 
iron  taken.  The  locomotives  of  this  company  are  of  an  efficient  class ; 
taking  heavy  loads  over  their  80  feet  grades,  with  great  ease  ;  but  of  these 
we  hope  to  be  able  to  speak  more  definitely  hereafter.  Their  cars  are  of  a 
superior  description.  The  passenger  cars  have  one  safeguard  quite  new  to 
us  and  which  we  would  earnestly  recommend  to  other  companies,  and  espe- 
cially to  those  who  use  the  flat  bar  rail.  They  have  put  an  under  floor  of 
inch  oak  boards  to  all  their  passenger  cars,  which  will  prevent  accidents 
from  "  snake  heads"  from  which  some  sad  ones  have  occurred  in  this  coun- 
try. The  cost  is  but  trifling,  yet  the  security  afforded  to  the  passengers,  we 
are  induced  to  believe  from  our  own  observation,  is  sufficient  to  render  its 
adoption  imperative  on  every  flat  bar  road  in  the  country. 

l^he  freight  cars  in  general  use  on  this  road  are  superior,  in  many  re- 
spects, to  any  we  have  seen,  that  is,  they  carry  a  greater  amount  of  freight 
in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  the  car,  than  on  most  roads.  They  have  six 
wheels,  the  body  is  made  light  but  strong,  resting  on  wood  springs,  consist- 
ing of  two  pieces  each  2  inches  by  six,  and  13  feet  long,  of  white  ash  plank. 
Other  companies  will  do  well  to  examine  them  and  either  adopt,  or  improve 
upon  them.  The  success  of  railroads  will  depend  much  on  the  introduction 
of  improvements  in  the  various  details  in  their  management ;  and  in  no  one 
particular  is  greater  economy  to  be  introduced,  perhaps,  than  in  the  weight 
and  construction  of  cars ;  many  of  those  now  in  use  are  altogether  too 
heavy  in  proportion  to  their  capacity,  especially  on  the  Pennsylvania  roads 
where  the  State  furnishes  roads  and  motive  power  and  the  forwarders  own 
the  cars  or  section  boats,  in  which  about  two  tons  of  freight  are  carried  for 
ihree  tons  of  dead  weight,  or  car ! 

The  charge  for  freight  on  merchandize,  produce,  etc.,  on  this  road  is, 
from  Baltimore  to  Columbia,  75  miles,  $1  12J  per  1000  lbs.,  and  on  plas- 
ter 80  cents.    The  police  of  the  road  appears  to  be  excellent.    We  havi  a 


4v 


"■  Papers  on  Practiced  Engineering,  398 

wpy'of  the  figgulations  before  us  which  appear  to  be  well  arranged  to  insure 
safety,  if  followed,  and  the  best  evideace  that  they  are  attended  to,  in  our  opin- 
i(ni.i3,tk^  very  few  accidents  have,  as  we  are  informed|  occurred  oa  the  road. 

PAPERS  ON  FRACnCAU   ENGINEHUNG;    NO.  ^ 

il  special  report  on  the  Sea  Wall,  built  in  the  year  1843,  J^f  the  preserva- 
tion of  Ram  Head  at  the  northwest  end  of  LovelFs  Island,  in  the  har- 
bor of  Boston,  Mass.,  by  CoL  S.  Thayer,  U.  &  corps  of  Engineers. 

We  are  indebted  to  a  friend  f«r  a  copy  of  No.  2,  of  these  most  welcome 
and  unexpected  papers.     The  great  variety  of  work  executed  under  the  sn* 
perintendence  of  the  U.  S.  engineers,  the  scientific  acquirements  of  the  corps 
and  the  circumstance  of  their  having  leisure  to  investigate  and  calmly  note   i, 
down  the  numerous  details  of  construction  so  interesting  to  the  profession,. ;. 
iead  us  to  anticipate  much  good  from  the  publication  of  these  papers.     Our 
readers  are  acquainted  with  the  papers  published  by  the  Royal  engineers  to   ^ 
which,  as  well  as  to  the  Transactions  of  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers, 
their  costly  mode  of  publication  is  a  most  serious  objection.     The  present 
number  is  by  an  officer  as  well  known  as  he  is  highly  esteemed.  ,s»r  ^- 

By  an  act  of  congress,  passed  March  3d,  1843,  the  sum  of  $16,000  was 
appropriated  for  a  "  sea  wail  on  LovelPs  island,  Boston  harbor."    The  part    - 
of  the  island  intended  to  be  secured  is  called  Ram  Head,  a  small  remnant 
of  one  (the  northwestern)  of  the  two  eminences  originally  forming  the  ; 
island,  or  rather,  probably  separate  islands,  until  in  process  of  time,  the 
water  course  between  them  became  filled  up  by  the  debris  proceeding  froni  ' 
the  destruction  of  the  former.     These  debris,  consisting  mostly  of  very     • 
coarse  gravel  and  pebblestone,  have  moreover  been  driven  southerly  in  the 
direction  of  Gallop's  island,  and  pushed  far  into  the  main  channel,  leavings 
the  present  width  of  the  channel  at  this  place  about  two  hundred  yards.     ^ 
These  changes,  viz :  the  abrasion  of  the  island,  and  consefjuent  invasion  of 
the  channel,  have  been  steadily  advancing  up  to  the  present  time,  and  so  ra- 
pidly of  late  years,  as  to  render  it  almost  certain,  that  the  latter  would  b(t    t 
closed  at  no  distant  period,  unless  the  evil  could  be  arrested  by  the  preser- 

'tation  of  Ram  Head.     Such  was  the  origin  and  object  of  the  work  about 

c4o  be  described. 

^      The  topography  of  the  site,  and  the  position,  form  and  dimensions  of  the 

'^Itea  wall,  generally,  arc  exhibited  in  the  sheets  of  drawings  herewith  sub-  - 
mitted.     The  levels  are  referred  to  the  plane  of  (extreme)  low  water,  cor-    \_ 
responding  to  that  of  the  map  of  George's  island,  executed  by  Col.  Kearny. 
The  beach,  to  the  distance  of  several  hundred  feet,  and  in  some  directipnt 
to  a  much  greater  distance  from  the  wall,  is  a  little  above  the  level  of  half    ■"' 
tide ;  varying  from  seven  to  ten  feet  above  the  plane  of  reference.     It  con* 
sists  of  pebbles  embedded  in  hard  clay,  and  is  protected  from  further  abra*   : 
sion  by  the  large  stones  (boulders)  covering  its  surface,  probably  remaining 
near  where  they  fell  from  the  bank  as  it  receded,  being  too  massive  to  be 
swept  away  by  the  sea.     This  beach  may  therefore  be  considered  as  per* 

'':fUMent. 

Above  the  foundation,  whicn  consists  entirely  of  befon,  the  wall  is  faced 
«p  to  the  coping  with  blocks  of  granite  in  regular  courses  of  about  two  feet     . . 
each  in  thickness  or  rise.     Every  course  consists  of  headers  or  stretchers   .. 

placed  alternately,  their  dimensions  being  as  follows,  -viz  J      *  *^?^  -^  *Av 


9H 


Papers  on  Practical  Engineering, 


Headers. — None  less  than  four  feet,  or  over  five  feet  long,  aTerage  ahmit 
4'  8"  ;  least  width  two  feet,  average  width  2'  3"  ;  the  widths  being  measured 
on  the  narrowest  heads,  which  are  always  in  tlie  iace  of  the  wail. 

Stretchers. — Length. — None  less  than  six  feel ;  aterage  length  about 
eight  feet.      Width. — No  bed  less  than  two  feel. 

The  stretchers  are  so  jointed,  as  to  be  three  inches  longer  on  the  back 

than  in  front,  thereby  forming  a  dovetail  joint  with  the  headers.     These 

last,  being  widest  in  rear,  are  thus  also  kept  in  j^ace  by  the  backing  of  the 

.  >  wall,  which  is  composed  wholly  of  beton.     Thus  all  the  materials  of  the 

wall  are  inseparably  connected  by  a  system  of  dovetailing. 

The  entire  beds  and  joints  are  hammered  full,  and  kid  in  contact,  stone 
to  stone,  the  cement  mortar  in  which  they  are  kid  only  filling  the  small 
cavities  between  the  touching  points. 

Headers,  two  feet  in  thickness,  in  part  five  feet,  and  in  part  4'  3"  long, 
and  averaging  3'  9"  in  width,  constitute  the  coping  course. 

The  number  of  stones   in  the  wall  (headers,  stretchers,  quoins  and  capi 
'inclusive)  is  903,  amounting,  when  hammered,^  to  901  85  cubic  yards,  or  t* 
,    a  cubic  yard  each  on  a  general  average. 

The  width  of  the  wall  at  the  upper  surface  (e»  which  the  coping  rests) 

•  is  5'  6",  and  the  average  width,  including  the  foundation,  is  about  six  feet. 

There  are  in  the  foundation  5405  cubic  yards,  and  in  the  backing  of  the 

l^/Superstructnre  ?96'7  cubic  yards,  altogether  1336-2  cubic  yards  of  betotr, 

^which  added  to  the  granite  faring  and  coping  above  stated,  make  the  con< 

teats  of  the  wall  2238  07  cubic  yards. 

Cost  of  Masonry. 

$4097  21  -ir  901  86  =  $4  54307 


Stone  in  the  rough, 
Mortar  materials, 
Dressing, 
Laying,      - 
Machines  aiul  toob, 


(i 


019433 

286639 
062952 
044806 
037480 


175  26 

268508 

56774 

40409 

Receiving  and  hauling  materials,  33802 

Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  -  -  •     $9  06617 

Foundation   Beton. 
^  f  Cement,  266-37  pounds  =  3*  eub,  ft.  stiff  paste,  $1  -2820 

fi iV    K  fi  i  Sand,  674  pounds  =  82  cub.  ft  loose  =  675  cub.  ft. 
0  17CUD.  It.  1^     perfectly  compact,    -  -  -  .  ai715 

Gravel,  2513  cub.  ft.,   -       .    -  ....      0.2397 

*  Making  mortar,        -  •      '       -  0  0647  days  f 

Mixing  beton,    •         if«(i<«fifcr4i«Rj^^M><'!*0  1090    «  J  02595 
Transporting  do.      -  -  -        '    00545     "    ]    day»       03059 

Packing  do.       ....      00313    «    L 
Tools,  implements,  platforms,  runs,  hauling  sand,  etc.,  etc.,  OlliSl 

«  Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  -  -  -  -  $21109 . 

Backing  Beton. 
•       ,    *    (  Cement,  281  i  pounds  =  3  28  cub.  ft  stiff  paste, 
«  CUD.  It.  ^  g^i^^^  ^4 J  jjjg  4j^p3^9  cu  ft,  loose =7  2  cu.  ft.  compact. 


Gravel,  24  1  cubic  feet, 

Making  mortar,        -  - 

Mixing  beton. 

Transporting  do.        •  'n     .f  .-<,..  ^a^;^ 

Packing  do.        .  -'  -  -J^f 

Tools,  implements,  platforms,  etc:,'^^*"*' 

Total  cost  per  cubic  yard, 


0O648  days') 
01214    « 
00555    « 
00761     « 


$14066 
01899 
031298 


03178 
days 


W4.V-  J    ■»#*'/»  ".^^-V- 


0  3753  f 
0112<  ^ 


i£.  .  -  ■_  •^.'i!:  •  r 


'■;.■.*• 


^  ^     Peipers  tm  Practical  Engineering.       * 

^i<:-:     -r     -■■■       <v.;--'V. 

A^enffe  cost  of  the  whole  beton  (foandatkni  and  backing), 

$2981 35  ■*■  1336  2  ^  f 2'2318. 
^'  Entire  Cast  of  Mmsonry, 

Stoaewerk,  90186        at        $9<J5617  $816740 

Beten,  133621         at  23129  298136 

Total,  "223807        at  49814  $1114875 

\    A  batch  -of  mortar  was  composed  as  follows :  '   ' 

Cement  =  1  cask  3214  pounds  (arerage)  =  375  cubic  feet  stiff  paste. 
Sanrf  =two  wheelbarrow  boxes  heaped  =  856f  pounds  damp  from  heap 
=  10^^  cubic  feet  loose  =  8J  cubic  feet  reduced  to  minimum  bulk. 
•    This  dose  of  sand  was  about  50  per  t;ent  greater  than  wxniW  have  been 
used  in  mortar  for  ordinary  masonry,  or  for  beton  in  caps  or  arches.     The 
result  of  the  mixture  was  10 J  cubic  feet  of  stiff  mortar  =  11  cubic  feet  in  a 
limber  staite,  8i>ch  as  w4ien  used.     There  were  made  in  aM  111J8  batches  = 
1128  X  lOi  =  11562  cubic  feet  =  428  22  cnbic  yards,  costing  as  follows : 
Cement  =  362  400  pounds  at  \  cent,     -  •  -        _,    1812-00  ' 

iSani  =  476  92  tons  fl<  61  cents  aeariy,      -  •  -"     249-24 

Laber^  includinf  transport  of  mortar  to  betoa  bed,  average  dis> 
tance  40  yards  =  86  6  days.,  ....  -  102-33 

$215757 

Cost  ef  cubic  yard  of  Mortar.      -- 

Cement  =  846  06  pounds  =  99  cubic  ft.  stiff  paste,  -  4-231 

Sani  =  M1373  tons  =  27  cubic  ft.  loose  =  22^  cubic  ft.  pcr- 
fBctly  compact,  ......  0  666 

Laior  =  02019  days,  .  •  -  •  -  -      0^39 

27  cubic  feet  at  18§  cents,  -  -  -  •  $6038 

The  mortar  was  made  by  hand,  in  a  box  T  long,  5'  wide,  and  11^"  deep, 
which  had  been  constructed  for  a  different  purpose,  but  answered  sufficient* 
ly  well  for  this.  One  half  of  the  sand  was  first  put  in  and  spread,  then  a 
cask  of  cement,  and  over  this  the  remainder  of  the  sand.  The  water  (salt) 
was  then  added,  and  the  mixture  effected  in  the  usual  way  by  two  men,  to 
whom  a  third  man  was  occasionally  added. 

The  batch  of  mortar  above  described  =  10^  cubic  feet  was  mixed,  for 
foundation  beton,  with  eight  barrows  full  of  shingle  =  31^  cubic  feet  and 
for  backing  beton,  with  7  barrows  full  =27^  cubic  feet.  With  respect  to 
the  latter,  however,  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  whole  of  the  mortar  was 
not  mixed  with  the  shingle,  a  certain  portion,  say  about  six  per  cent.,  being 
applied  to  the  surfaces  in  contact  with  the  beton  in  the  wall.  The  shingle 
was  of  every  size  from  that  of  a  pea  to  pebbles  of  6  inches  diameter,  and 
the  different  sizes  so  proportioned  as  to  give  a  minimum  void.  Although 
this  void  was  not  accurately  ascertained,  yet,  judging  from  experiments  with 
other  materials  not  dissimilar,  and  from  the  bulk  produced  by  the  mixture 
of  given  quantities  of  the  shingle  and  mortar,  I  feel  safe  in  stating  it  at 
somewhere  between  20  and  25  per  cent,  of  the  volume  of  the  shingle. 

The  process  of  fabrication  was  briefly  as  follows: 

T%e  shingle  having  been  brought  in  wheelbarrows  from  the  pile  or  depot 
near  by,  and  spread  on  the  platform  (formed  of  rough  boards)  in  a  layer 
from  8  to  12  inches  in  thickness,  (according  as  the  materials  are  more  or 
Inss  coarse)  the  finest  shingle  at  bottom,  and  all  the  pebbles  at  top,  the  batch 
of  mortar  i|pBpread  over  it  as  evenly  as  possible.  The  mixture  is  effected 
by  four  men,  viz:  two  with  shovels  and  two  with  hoes,  the  former  fiicing 
each  other,  and  each  commencing  at  a  comer  of  one  of  the  sides  of  the 
pile,  work  from  the  exterior  towards  each  other,  until  they  meet,  throwing 


296  Proposed  New  Route  by  Railway  to  Boston. 

each  shovel  full  so  as  to  form  an  irregular  ridpe,  the  commencement  of  a 
new  pile,  at  a  convenient  dkstance  on  one  side.  They  then  step  back  and  re- 
commence a  new  section  (the  vtidth  of  the  shovel)  and  operate  in  the  same 
Aanner  deposhing  ihii  portion  by  the  side  of  the  other,  until  the  whole  ma89 
b.  turned  and  formed  with  the  aid  of  the  hoes  into  a  heap  similar  to  (he  ori- 
ginal. As  each  shovel  full  is  turned  up  and  spread,  or  rather  scattered  by 
a  jerking-  motion,  it  is  seized  by  the  hoe  and  brought  into  proper  form  and 
position  being  thereby  vnofe  intimately  mixed.  The  heap  is  again  turned 
jn  like  manner,  but  in  the  opposite  direction,  when  the  mixture  is  complete, 
all  the  surfaces  of  the  shingle  being  well  covered  with  mortar. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  observe,  that,  the  snccess  of  the  operation  de- 
peods  entirely  on  the  proper  management  of  the  tools,  which,  although  not 
a  difficult  act,  is>seldom  atta,ined  without  the  particular  attention  of  the  over- 
fleer.     The  ordinary  gang,  exclusive  of  moitar  makers,  wa»  as  follows  :- 

For  foundation  Beton.  -  tl 

► ;..   4  nwn  bringing  shingle  ar>d  mi.xing. 
'\.  2  men  transporting  beton,  {each  filling  his  own  barrow)  and  mixing. 

1  mar.  at  trench,  levelling  and  ramming,  to  whom  two  others  were  occa- 
sionally added,  in  which  case  four  men  were  kept  constantly  at  the  shovel 
and  hoe,  turning  and  mixing. 

^^  For  Backing  Beton. 

J -J   2  men  bringmg  shingle  and  mixing. 

2  men  wheeling  beton  and  mixing.  '  ^ 
2  men  at  the  wall,  one  plastering  the  surface  in  contact  with  the  beton, 

the  other  arranging  the  beton  and  ramming. 

£ach  course  of  facing  stones  was  backed  up  as  fast  as  laid,  the  back  of 
the  beton  being  sustained  by  moveable  boxings,  each  consisting  of  a  couple 
of  2"  planks  about  20  feet  in  length,  fastened  together,  edge  to  edge,  with 
battens,  and  kept  in  place  by  plank  or  joist  braces  in  rear.  These  boxing* 
eottld  be  safely  removed  in  several  hours  after  the  beton  was  packed. 

-^^ '^''^•AWOTHER   nAILROAD   ROUTE    BETWEEN   NEW   YORK    3c    BOSTON. 

We  have  received  a  circular  sigr>ed  by  the  principal  citizens  of  Middle- 
town  Con.,  in  which  they  call  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants  along  the  Hoe 
to  the  project  of  a  railroad  through  Middletown  to  Norwich,  and  thence  to 
Providence  and  Boston.  They  say  that  "  at  the  last  session  of  the  legisla- 
ture of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  a  charter  was  granted  for  a  railroad  in 
continuation  of  the  Hartford'and  New  Haven  railroad,  to  the  line  of  New 
York  State,  in  order  to  perfect  a  continuous  road  from  Boston  to  New  York 
city,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

"Another  charter  was  also  granted,  to  connect  the  city  of  Middletown 
with  the  Hartford  and  New  Haven  railroad  ;  and  it  is  now  proposed  to  con- 
tinue this  road  from  Middletown,  east  to  Providence  and  Boston  via  Nor- 
wich, by  occupying  a  part  of  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  road  to  the  most 
convenient  point  diverging  therefrom  to  the  Providence  and  Stonington 
road;  or  by  such  other  route  as  upon  examination  shall  prove  most  practi- 
cable. This  project,  if  carried  out,  will  place  Providence,  Norwich,  Mid- 
dletown and  the  intermediate  towns,  forever  on  the  great  mail  route  from, 
Boston  to  New  York  city." 

Of  the  advantage  and  convenience  to  the  people  on  the  proposed  line  we 
have  not  a  doubt  The  following  comparative  statement  of  distances  be- 
tween it  and  th^  Springfield  route  shows  a  saving  of  19  miles. 


MensureAion  of  Excavation  and  EmbankmenLL^  297 


New  Haven  to  Boston  by  proposed  route. 
Now  Haven  to  Wallmgford, 
Wallingford  to  Middletowo, 
Middletown  to  Norwich, 
Norwich  to  Plainfieid, 
Plainfiehl  to  Stonington,  R.  I., 
Thence  to  Providence, 
Providence  to  Boston, 

Total, 


10  Okies. 

13 

32 

15 

24 

13 

««  t 

41 

K 

148 

U 

l( 


New  Haven  to  Boston,  via  Springfield,  Ms. 
New  Haven  to  Hartford,  37  milas. 

Hartford  to  Springfield,  86 

Springfield  to  Worcester,  59 

Woroester  to  Boston,  45 

ToUl,  167 


148     •*,*;> 

19    "i^ 
Total  extent  of  new  road  to  be  constructed  on  proposed  route,  69  miles. 


Difference  ki  favor  of  proposed 
route,  19 


<MI  THE  MENSURATION  OF  EXCAVATION  AND  EMBANKJIENT  UPON  CANALS,  ROADS) 

AND  railroads:  by  elwood  morris,  civil  engineer. 

On  directing  the  attention  to  public  works,  one  is  immediately  struck 
with  the  vastness  of  the  amount  of  money  expended  in  excavation,  embank- 
ment and  masonry:  forming  on  the  roads  and  railroads,  usually  the  chief, 
and  on  the  canals  nearly  the  only  items  of  outlay.  We  have  the  authority 
of  the  Chev.  de  Gerstner,  that  the  3000  miles  of  railway  this  year  in  ope- 
ration in  the  United  States,  cost  sixty  millions  of  dollars.*  Of  which, 
perhaps,  forty  millions  were  laid  out  in  graduation  and  masonry  alone. 

When  to  this,  we  add  the  immense  expenditures  for  similar  objects  upo^ 
the  canals  and  roads  of  the  Union,  will  it  be  too  much  to  say  that  near  one 
hundred  millions  of  dollars  have  been  disbursed  in  the  earthworks,  requisite 
to  reduce  the  routes  to  proper  levels,  and  the  archiiecturai  constructions  ne- 
cessary to  pass  the  streams. 

This  large  amount  of  work  having  been  done  chiefly  by  contract,  and 
paid  for  by  the  cubic  yard,  or  perch,  the  vast  importance  of  accuracy  and 
i  uniformity  in  calculating  the  contents  of  excavation,  embankment  and  ma- 
/  sonry  solids,  must  be  palpable  to  all.     Unfortunately,  great  diversity  has 
existed,  and  still  continues  to  exist,  in  the  modes  of  mensuration  adopted  by 
engineers  J  they  may,  however,  in  a  general  way,  be  divided  into  two  prin- 
cipal methods,  and  the  modifications  which  flow  from  them;  first,  those 
which  depend  on  arithmetical  and  second,  those  dependant  on  geometrical^ 
.   ,,  average. 

When  we  state  that  neither  of  these  modes  is  exact,  except  in  a  limited 
.'  number  of  cases,  we  merely  mention  what  is  well  known  to  every  engineer : 
but  which  is  a  reason  not  the  less  powerful,  to  induce  us  to  seek  more  per- 
4  feet  methods. 

The  importance  of  this  subject  will,  we  trust,  be  a  sufficient  apology  for 
>,  laying  before  the  readers  of  the  Journal  of  the  Franklin  Institute  a  few  ob- 
servations, with  the  hope  of  drawing  to  it  the  attention  of  abler  minds.f 

We  are  aware,  that  it  is  urged  by  some,  that  the  modes  of  measurement 
«re  immaterial,  provided,  the  values  of  the  trait  of  measure  computed  in  a 
particular  mode  were  kno\vn.  a«d  that  mode  generally  adopted ;  and  this 
¥  argument  would  have  great  force  if  any  single  rule  or  method  of  mensura- 
tion was  used  in  general  practice.  But  while  on  some  works  the  mode  of 
:  computation  imiformly  errs  in  excess,  on  others  it  probably  errs  in  deficien- 
cy, or,  otherwise,  according  to  circumstances ;  and  this  brings  us  back  to 
tJtie  importance  of  a  uniform  and  more  exact  mode. 

•"  See  Jeamal  Franklin  Institute  for  September,  1839. 
:^     t  A  treatise  or  tke  menssrafioa  of  excavatien  and  embankment,  froa  the  pen  of  a 
.  ;^  oortbera  engmeer,  well  aWe  to  nanage  suck  a  eultject,  was  lately  announced  as  being  ia 
,  !  4hepress,  it  lias  not  however  (the  writer  believes)  yet  been  published. 

Tnie  work  here  referred  to  by  Mr.  Morris,  is  that  of  E.  F.  Johnson,  Esq^  C.  El,  wTiidi 
«ar  leaders  will  recollect,  was  published  at  our  office  in  1840.  Ed.  R.  R.  J. 


298  Mensuration  ef  Excavation  and  EmBankmenf. 

The  surface  of  the  gronnd  is  regarded  by  the  engineer,  as  bein|^  cotaptf 
aed  of  planes,  variously  disposed  whh  relation  to  each  other  ;  so  that  any 
vertical  section,  will  exhibit  a  rectilineal  figure  more  or  less  regular.    Thi»^ 
supposition,  though  ni>t  strictly  correct,  is  sufficiently  accurate  for  practical^: 
purposes,  and  avoids  any  necessity  of  entering  inta  the  complex  cakulation* ; 
pertaining  to  warped  surfaces. 

The  usual  method  of  noeasuring  excavation  and  embankment,  is  by  taking''' 
rertical  sections,  perpendicular  to  the  centre  fine  of  the  canal  or  road,  and  t 
-  at  short  distances  apart,  in  which  the  elevation  or  depression  of  numeroQS 
points  in  the  ground,  above  or  below  the  bottom  of  canal  or  grade  of  road, 
IS  ascertained  by  the  spirit  level  and  rod,  while  their  distances  out,  rigbir»^r 
and  left,  are  measured  (generally)  with  a  tape  line.  'V 

These  elevations  or  depressions  are  commonly  called  plus  or  minus  cut' 
tings,  or  simply  cuttings,  and  the  distances  of  the  several  points  from  the 
centre  line  are  denominated  shortly  distances  out.     The  cuttings  then  are , 
ordinates  or  perpendiculars  drawn  from  the  plane  of  grade  or  bottom,  to  in-  , 
tersect  the  surface  of  the  ground;  and  the  distances  out,  are  the  horizontal 
distances  of  those  perpendiculars  from  the  centre  line,  (measured  at  right  c 
angles)  or  the  abscissa  of  those  ordinates,  which,  by  deduction,  give  the  dls-' 
tances  apart  of  the  separate  cuttings. 

•  The  details  of  the  operation  of  taking  the  cuttings  require  great  nicety, 
but  are  so  well  known  to  practical  engineers  as  to  render  unnecessary  a  de-  ■ 
scription  at  length.     We  may,  however,  mention  a  general  rule  whicn  must  ^ 
not  be  neglected  if  accurate  results  are  desired  ;  viz.     At  every  change  of 
slope  transversely,  single  cuttings  and  distances  out,  must  Be  taken,  and  of 
every  longitudinal  change,  sections  of  cuttings. 

Upon  rough  ground  it  is  customary  to  make  the  lateral  distances  apart 
of  the  cuttings  uniformly  ten  feet,  which  materially  facilitates  the  subsequent 
calculations.     We  may  here  observe  that  the  cuttings  and  distances  out^  ' 
are  commonly  taken  in  feet  and  tenths,  and  the  regular  stations  of  one  hun-  < 
dred  feet,  are  divided  by  cross  sections  (or  sections  of  cuttings),  into  shorter 
lengths  if  the  ground  requires,  as  it  almost  always  does. 

Some  engineers  have  suggested  the  division,  and  we  believe  some  hav9  ^ 
had  their  rods  and  tapes  divided,  into  yards  and  decimals  ;  and  some  retain*  ^ 
ing  the  rod  and  tape  as  usual,  have  made  their  regular  stations  fifty-four  feet^  i. 
and  have  spaced  their  cross  sections  where  they  required  to  be  nearer,  so,' 
that  their  dfstances  apart  should  be  some  aliquot  part  of  54  feet.     These  ' 
methods,  though  they  somewhat  expedite  the  office  work  where  the  quantf*  -, ' 
ties  are  ascertained  by  the  process  of  arithmetical  average,  are  not,  however..  - 
generally  adopted  by  the  profession,     A  foot  being  usually  the  unit  of  lineal -i  * 
measure,  a  hundred  feet  a  regular  station,  and  the  cubic  yard'  the  unit  of  the 
solidity  of  excavations  and  embankments. 

The  isometrical  diagram,  fig.  I,  plate  I,  represents  a  regular  station. /^ 
of  embankment  on  irregular  ground,  with  an  mtermedlate  cross  section*  * 
at  50  feet  or  midway.  Base  or  width  of  road  surface  =  30  feet,  slopes  St  ' 
to  1,  a,  b,  c,  d,  «,/and  g,  are  cutfings,  minus  cuttings,  in  this  case;  1 :  2:  ' 
and  3:  are  the  sections  of  cutfings,  or  cross  sections.  C,  C,  is  the  centtef  ^ 
line.  ^' ; 

Earth  work  on  roads  and  canals  is  nsualTy  laid  oflf  in  divisions  caired* 
sections  of  half  a  mile  or  more  in  length,,  and  when  a  sufficient  number  tif 
transverse  seetions  ei  the  ground  have  beea  obtained,  or  technieally  when 
the  "  cuttings  are  taken,"  the  transverse  profiles  or  cross  sections  are  drawn 
upon  paper,  their  areas  calculated,  and  the  solid  contents  of  the  excavations 
and  embankments  computed ;  generally  by  one  of  two  xuleSj,  viz; 


Mensuration  of  Excavation  and  Embankmenty  ■         289 

'Sffif.'i:  Bp arithmetical  average. — Multiply  the  sum  of  the  end  areas 
by  their  distance  apart,  and  divide  the  product  by  6  and  by  9 ;  the  result  will 
give,  approximately^  the  numbet  of  cubic  yards  in  the  given  length  of  exca- 
vation or  emoanktneat. 

No.  2:  By  geometrical  average. — Multiply  the^um  of  the  end  areas, 
and  the  square  root  of  their  product,  by  the  distance  apart,  and  divide  the 
product  by  9  and  by  9.  The  result  will  be,  nearly^  the  number  of  cubic 
yards  in  the  given  length  of  excavation  or  embankment. 

All  the  dimensions  ki  both  cases  being  in  (eet  and  decimals. 

Of  these  rules,  P^o.  1,  gives  a  rosuk  always  in  excess,  except  when  the 
excavation  or  embankment  solid,  happens  to  be  a  prism  or  cylinder,  or 
when  the  sums  «f  the  right  and  left  distances  out,  are  the  same  for  both  the 
•end  areas  used. 

And,  No.  2,  though  accurate  when  applied  to  prisms,  cylinders,  pyramids 
and  cones,  or  their  frustra,  fails  on  application  to  the  prismoid  or  wedge 
as  well  as  to  embankment  or  excavation  solids,  on  irregular  ground,  where 
the  difference  is  great  between  the  areas  of  adjacent  transverse  sections. 

Such  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  modes  in  common  nse  ibr  measuring  exca- 
vation and  embankment  on  roads  and  canals ;  of  which  we  may  observe, 
that  the  method,  {No.  1,)  and  all  others  founded  upon  the  same  principles, 
necessarily  lead  to  errors,  often  of  magnitude^  and  particularly  in  deducing 
*' deficient  embankment,"  as  is  very  well  shown  by  Mr,  Macneill,  in  the  in-- 
troduction  to  his  excavation  and  embankment  tables  published  in  1833.  It 
is  true,  that  engineers  in  this  country  would  seldom  &il  to  arrive  at  much 
closer  results  than  Mr.  Macneill  has  instanced  \  because,  being  well  aware, 
that  this  very  convenient  rule  (No.  1,)  always  gives  results  which  are  in 
excess  in  some  ratio  to  the  difference  of  any  two  areas  averaged,  they  take 
care  to  place  their  cross  sections  so  aear  together  that  this  difference  may 
be  small,  and  consequently  by  closely  pursuing  this  course  are  enabled  to 
reach  results  proportionally  more  exact  Indeed,  the  writer  has  often  known 
sections  of  cuttings  on  sidehfll,  to  he  taicen  but  10  feet  apart  longitudinally, 
and  in  some  extraordinary  cases  among  rocks  even  at  a  less  distance.  -  ^i 

The  rule  Na  2,  thoagh  not  liable  to  so  many,  nor  s*ich  strong  objectiong, 
is  still  obnoxious  to  some:  and  where  greater,  indeed  almost  precise,  accti* 
racy  is  attainable  without  much  more  labor,  we  cannot  but  think  it  highly 
■desirable,  and  accordingly  propose  to  develepe  a  method  much  superior,  as 
at  appears  to  us.  But  before  doing  so,  the  writer  distinctly  disclaims  any 
attempt  at  novelty,  as  to  the  principles  employed ;  for  they  have  been  long 
known  •to  those  versed  in  iwensuration,  and  have  also  been  applied  to  the 
matter  in  hand  by  the  eminent  engineer  before  alluded  to  {J.  Macneill,  Esq., 
C.  E.,  etc.,)  hi  his  publication  in  1833.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  as  a 
general  pr<ocesSy  the  mode  about  to  be  laid  down  has  not  yet  been  used  on 
«ny  work. 

Upon  the  general  supposition  that  any  given  length  of  excavation  or  em- 
bankment is  a  solid  bounded  laterally  by  plane  surfaces,  and  terminated  at 
both  ends  by  transverse  sections,  or  planes,  perpendicular  to  the  centre  or 
guiding  line  of  the  excavation  or  -embankment ;  the  contents  of  that  solid 
may  be  accvratcly  computed  by  aad  of  the  "  prismoidal  formula,"  used  by 
Mr.  Macneill,  wno  gives  a  very  good  demonstration  of  it  as  applied  direct- 
ly to  one  of  the  solids  imder  consideration.  Mr.  Macneill's  tables,  though 
carefully  made  out,  and  undoubtedly  useful  in  a  level  country,  are  unfortu- 
naitely  not  of  very  r«ady  application  to  common  cases,  owing  to  the  variable 
transverse  figure  of  the  groiud  not  having  been  (and  which  iadeed  i» 


^'.■<f:fAl^t. 


*s-- 


300  Mensuration  of  Excavation  and  EmhanJiment.    . 

scarcely  capable  of  being)  taken  into  the  account  in  the  tabular  arrange 
mftit  employed  by  that  distinguished  practical  writer. 

The  ^  Piisntokial  Formula"  referred  to,  is  as  iollows: 

Parallel  sections  each  perpendicular  to  the  guiding  line  of  the  excavation 
or  embankment, 

*  Let  >  =  the  area  of  the  base,  or  of  a  cross  section  at  one  end  of  a  gireiv 

*  length  of  exearation  or  embankment. 
"    /  =  the  area  of  the  top,  or  other  end  section. 

"  IB  =  the  area  of  a  section  midway  between  the  two,  and  deduced  from  them. 
g    "  A  =  the  height  of  the  solid,  or  perpendicular  diMasce  between  tkeend 

V  sections. 

,.    "  S  =  the  solidity,  ». 

V  Then  the  general  formula  =  A  +  4»i  +  <  X  i A  =  S.  '^ 

*  This  is  the  rule  for  the  capacity  of  a  prismoid,  demonstrated  m  almost 
erery  treatise  on  mensuration.  And  it  is  also  the  general  formula  for  ther 
mensnraticm  of  all  solids,  whose  bases  and  tops,  or  edges,  lie  in  parallel 
planes,  and  whose  sides  are  l>ounded  either  by  planes  or  right  lines ;  and 
from  it  can  be  drrectly  deduced  the  eommon  ruks  fof  the  solidity  of  prisms, 
etc.,  as  will  be  shown  hereafter. 

•  It  applies  to  a  prism  or  cylinder  as  a  prismoid,  (so  to  speak)  of  which 
the  two  end  sections  are  equal :  to  a  cone  or  pyran^id  as  a  similar  solid,  one 
of  whose  end  sections  is  nothing  ;  and  for  the  same  reason  it  is  applicable 
to  the  wedge.  As  the  full  demonstration  of  thi»  remarkable  property  would 
occupy  much  space,  we  prefer  the  inverse  method  of  deducing  from  the 
general  formula,  the  common  roles  for  the  soKdity  of  prisms,  pyramids,  etc.^ 
the  truth  of  which  have  been  already  pi  oven  by  the  writers  on  mensura- 
tion  ;  this  will  be  a  proof  of  the  general  rule,  perhaps  quite  as  satisfactory 
to  the  reader,  and  will,  at  least,  have  the  recommendation  of  brevity.        —'^ 

,  General  formula  =  6  +  4»t  +  <  x  i*  =  S.  t 

^v  1.  Prisms   or  CyHniersr.  w 

Here  *=*»,.  or  4«  =  4ft,  and  t  =  bj  substituting  these  values,  gienentl  iblP* 

mula  becomes    6  +  46  + frxiA  =  S,  or  66x1^  =  3,  or  finally  ft X A  ===  Sy 
which  is  the  common  rule,  usually  expressed  thus, 

■**  Multiply  the  area  of  the  base  by  the  height  of  the  prism,  and  the  prp- 
dbct  will  give  the  solid  content." 

^  By  figures  referring  lo  the  diagram,  fig.  2,  plate  I. 


X.        By  General  Formula. 
•  10x8=     80  =  6 

i'sfiiOx   8x4=  320  =  4» 

mM^,    10x8=    80  =  1 


By  Common  Rul«,  „| 

10x8=     80  =  6^ 
_48  =  A 

ixA  =  3840  =  a 


V 
« 

^ 


480 
8  =  1* 

3840  =  S. 

2.  Pyramids  and  Cones. 
f  Here  t  =  o,m  =  \h,m  4m  =  4,  substituting  these  raluerf  tfce  general  for- 
mula becomes  6  +  6  +  o  x  H  =  S,  or  2  6  x  i^  =  S,  or  finally  6  x  i*  =  8, 

which  is  the  common  rule  usually  stated  in  words  thus, 

— _ — . __ ^ — ■  rtiijt 

*  This  subject  is  noticed  by  (I  believe)  Sir  George  Head, in  a  wwk  on  Eaglaadr  speal** 
ing  of  ft  systeoi  of  education. 


Mensnration  of  Excavation  and  Enbankment. 


**  Multiply  the  area  of  the  base  by  one  third  of  the  height,  and  the  pro- 
duct will  be  the  solid  content." 


By  figures  referring  to  the  diagram,  fig.  3,  plate  1. 


^?: 


By 
6x 

General 

10x8  = 

4x4  = 

0X0  = 

Formula. 
80  =  6 
80  =  4w 
0  =  « 

160 

8  = 

=  i* 

By  Common  Rule. 
10x8=     80  =  6 


16  =  i* 


1280  =  S. 


1280  =  S. 

3.   The  Wedge. 
Here  let  c  =  length  of  the  edge,  I  =  length  of  the  back,  and  d  =  depth  or ' 


thickness  of  the  back. 

Then  in  the  general  formula,  t  =  o .  b  =  lxd^m  = 


Z  +  e     d 
-7i-Xs 


or  4»i=: 


r 


A 


l-\'txd^  substituting  these  values,  general  formula  becomes 
lXd-^l-\-ex  i  X  iA  =  S,  or  lxd-\-lxd -\- exdx  \k  =  S,  or  finally^ 
2/-}-cX  i  X  iA  =  S,  which  is  the  common  rule  usually  expressed  thus, 

"To  the  length  of  the  edge,  add  twice  the  length  of  the  back  ;  multiplr* 
this  sum  by  the  breadth  (or  thickness)  of  the  back,  and  then  by  one  sixth: 
of  the  height  of  the  wedge  ;  the  product  will  be  the  solid  content" 

By  figures  see  the  diagram,  fig.  4,  plate  I, 


By 

aox 

General  Formula. 
10  X    8=     80  =  6 
4x   4=   330  =  4»i 
0  X  30  =       0  =  # 

400 

8  = 

■■\h 

By  Conunon  Rule. 
10x2  +  30  =  50  =  2Z-i-« 

S  =  d 

400 

8  =  |A 


>»i^ 


3200  =  S: 
3ifi00  =  S. 

'  To  the  frustra  of  either  of  the  above  solids,  the  general  formula  is  e/cpaX- 
ly  applicable,  to  prove  which  we  observe,  that  the  frustrum  of  a  prism  is 
still  a  prism,  and  the  frustrum  of  a  wedge  is  a  prismoid  \  it  only  remains 
then  to  show  the  application  to 

4.   The  Frustrum  of  a  Pyramid. 
Here,  for  the  sake  of  simplifying  the  demonstration,  suppose  the  frustmn^ 
to  be  of  a  pyramid  having  a  square  for  its  base.     Let  a  =  a  side  of  the  base 
of  the  frustrum,  and  c  =  a  side  of  the  top.     Then  in  the  general  forniulft 

a-{-c     a-j-e  a-\-e  

i^m*  «=6'  and«=— 2~  >^~~2~  ^^  **  =  '~'4 — hence  4«  =  a -f  c    =s  » 

a*  -^^ac-^-c"^ 


Substituting  these  values  the  general  formula  becomes 


oM-a*  +  2ac  +  c' +  c«  X  iA  =  S,    or  ^a' +  3ac  +  2c»  X i*  =  S,    or 
a«  -f  (w  +  c^^  X  i*  =  S.  -w 

But  ac  =  Va'^  X  c*  substituting  which  the  formula  becomes 


a"  -|- V  **  XC  -I-  c"  X  i*  =  S,  which  is  the  common  rule  usually  expres> 
sed  thus, 

u  The  sum  of  the  areas  of  the  ends  and  the  square  root  of  their  product, 


20a  ^  Mensuration  of  Excavation  arid  Embankment.       • 

jnultiplied  by  one  third  of  the  height  (or  perpendicular  distance  between 
the  ends)  gives  the  solidity  of  the  frustrum." 

What  is  true  of  frustra  of  pyramids  is  also  true  of  those  of  cones,  though 
owing  to  the  properties  of  the  circle,  the  rule  for  the  solidity  of  .conic  frus- 
tra is  generally  differently  stated :  it  will  be  observed  that  the  common  rule 
above  deduced  for  pyramidal  frustra  is  identical  with  rule  No.  2,  sometimes 
used  to  find  the  contents  of  excavations  and  embankments.       ^  -^   .  .  1  . ;>,ji^;^» 

By  figures  see  the  diagram,  fig.  5,  plate  1. 


ti^ 


By  General  Formula. 
20x20-     400  =  6 
16xl6x  4=    1024  =  4m 
12x12=      144  =  < 

"16^ 
V  12644  =  8. 


By  Common  Rule. 
20x   20=     400  =  a' 


V400xl44=     240  =  Va'Xe» 
12x    12=     144  =  6^ 

784 
16  =  iA 


12544  =  8. 


Nqw  there  is  no  excavation  or  embankment  solid  such  as  we  have  sup- 
posed, that  cannot  be  divided  into  prisms,  prismoids,  pyramids,  or  wedges,, 
or  some  combination  of  them,  having  a  common  length  or  height,  equal  to  ,; 
the  distance  between  the  end  areas  or  cross  sections.  And  the  height  or 
length  being  common  to  all,  it  will  be  evident  on  reflection,  that  if  a  given 
portion  of  excavation  or  embankment  be  composed  of  any  number  of  the 
solids  named,  the  area  of  one  end  section  will  equal  the  sum  of  the  areas  of 
the  bases  or  tops  of  those  solids,  the  other  end  area  the  sum  of  their  tops  or 
bases,  and  the  area  of  the  mid-section  will  equal  the  sum  of  the  areas  of 
their  middle  sections ;  and,  hence,  if  (as  has  been  proved)  the  capacities  of 
the  separate  solids  are  reducible  to  one  general  rule,  the  solidity  of  a  whole 
body  composed  of  such  solids,  and  having  the  height  as  one  common  di- 
mension, may  therefore  be  computed  by  the  same  rule. 

The  general  process,  then,  the  adoption  of  which  we  suggest  as  a  valua- 
ble succedaneum  to  those  in  common  use,  will  be  to  compute  by  the  gener- 
al formula  from  the  sections  usually  taken  in  the  field,  in  the  following  man- 
ner: draw  the  sections  in  a  book,  leaving  between  each  two  space  enough 
for  the  middle  section,  which  will  be  subsequently  deduced  from  those  drawn ; 
on  each  left  hand  page  should  be  placed  either  three  sections,  (including  the 
mid-section)  or  some  multiple  of  three,  depending  on  the  character  of  the 
ground,  and  the  size  of  the  leaf;  the  right  hand  page  being  left  open  to  re- 
cord the  calculation  upon.  The  scale  we  would  recommend  to  be  twenty 
fieet  to  the  inch. 

To  prevent  misapprehension,  we  will  here  observe,  that  in  speaking  of 
excavation  or  embankment,  the  centre  line  is  always  supposed  to  be  a  tan- 
gent, that  being  the  universal  presumption,  in  practical  calculations ;  altho' 
upon  curves,  owing  to  the  convergence  of  the  cross  sections,  (they  being 
taken  on  the  radii,)  this  hypothesis  is  not  exact,  and  consequently  occasions 
some  error,  not  often,  however,  of  much  importance,  though  cases  will 
sometimes  arise  (where  the  primary  angle  of  deflection  is  unusually  large) 
that  ought  to  receive  correction  for  curvature. 

Though  not  absolutely  indispensable,  it  will  be  found  convenient  in  using 
the  prismoidal  method  of  calculation,  as  well  as  conducive  both  to  expedi- 
tion and  accuracy,  to  observe  the  following  rules  in  "  taking  the  cuttings" 
as  iar  as  the  character  of  the  surface  may  admit,  viz: 

^^J^.  On  sidehill,  at  each  section  of  cuttings  where  the  work  runs  partly  in 


MtnsurdHon  of  Exeavakon  and  Emhankmtiii.  SM 

•■-     *--  ■    -■• 

filling,  and  partly  in  cutting,  ascertain  the  point  where  grade  or  bottom 
strikes  ground  surface. 

2.  On  every  tarnsverse  section  take  a  cutting  at  both  edges  of  the  road, 
or,  at  the  distance  out  right  and  left  ot  ixie  bail  the  base. 

3.  Always  take  a  cross  section,  whenever  eiiher  edge  of  the  road  or  base 
passes  from  excavation  to  embankment  or  vice  versa. 

4  On  sidehil!,  if  the  ground  admits,  take  the  cuttings  (not  otherwise  pro* 
vided  for)  uniformly  at  ten  feet  apart. 

5.  Wherever  the  ground  admits,  so  place  the  cross  section  as  to  be  at 
some  decimal  division  of  100  feet  apart,  as  10,  20,  etc. 

Excavation  and  embankment  solids  naturally  divide  themselves  into  three 
classes  or  cases,  with  modifications,  and  under  one  or  another  of  these  cases 
or  their  modifications,  will  fall  nearly  every  kind  of  ground ;  though  on  a 
very  intricate  surface,  such  as  a  rocky  hillside,  cases  may  arise,  requiring^ 
additive  or  deductive  solids,  but  the  engineer  will  find  little  difficulty  in  ma- 
naging such,  without  violating,  or  interfering  with,  the  general  process. 

Case   1.     Prisms. 
Embankment  or  excavation,  cither  on  level  ground,  or  on  ground  inclined 
transversely,  and  level  longitudinally,  at  the  same  distance  out 

Modification  1 :  all  excavation,  or  all  embankment.  Modification  2: 
both  filling  and  cutting. 

Cast  2.     Prisms^  Prismoids  and  Pyramids. 

Embankment  or  excavation,  on  ground  inclined  longitudinally  in  one 
plane,  and  level  transversely. 

Modification  1 :  all  excavation,  or  all  embankment.  Modification  2 : 
passage  from  excavation  to  embankment,  or  the  reverse.  i- 

The  above  two  cases  do  not  often  exist  in  practice,  that  following  being 
of  the  most  general  occurrence. 

Case  3.     Prisms,  Prismoids,  Pyramids  and  Wedges,  or  a  comhinatio% 
of  them. 

Excavation  or  embankment  on  ground  inclined  both  longitudinally  and 
transversely. 

Modification  I :  all  excavation,  or  all  embankment.  Modification  2: 
cutting  and  filling  both.  Modification  3 :  passage  from  cutting  and  filling 
to  either  cutting  or  filling.  Modification  4 :  complete  passage  from  exca- 
vation to  embankment  on  sidelong  ground. 

The  general  formula  admits  of  a  modification,  more  convenient  for  use  in 
computing  excavation  and  embankment.     It  is  as  follows : 

i  +  4m-f-<  

Q X  A  =  S,  in  lieu  of  6  -J-  4jn  4- «  x  lA  =  S ;  this  modification  we 

shall  employ ;  and  now  proceed  to  give  examples  in  figures  of  each  case, 
but  it  may  be  as  well  previously,  to  make  some  remarks  relative  to  dedu- 
cing the  middle  section  between  any  two  which  have  been  taken  in  the  field 
and  sketched  in  the  section  book. 

To  average  for  the  cuttings  of  the  middle  section,  commence  either  at 
centre  or  at  grade,  if  there  be  a  grade  point  upon  the  cross  section,  and 
having  regard  to  the  inclination  of  the  ground,  proceed  each  way,  avera- 
ging the  cuttings  as  they  occur,  for  a  corresponding  cutting  of  the  middle 
section,  and  their  distances  out,  or  rather  their  distances  apart,  for  a  corres- 
ponding distance  apart ;  and  if  there  be  more  cuttings  in  one  section  than 
m  the  other,  the  surplus  cuttings  (of  the  same  kind)  on  each  side,  all  aver- 
age with  the  outer  cutting  oi^  that  side,  and  their  distances  apart  divided  by 


Mensuration  of  Excavation  and  Embankment 

two  (or  averaged  with  0,)  give  the  corresponding  distances  of  the  cuttings 
which  answer  to  them  upon  the  mid-section.  But  the  averages  may  be 
made  in  any  other  way  demanded  by  the  transverse  slopes  of  the  surface, 
provided  all  the  cuttings  are  used,  and  that  lines  drawn  to  join  any  two  cut* 
tings  averaged,  do  neither  meet  between  the  end  sections  nor  cross.  In  the 
mid-section  will  always  appear  the  same  number  of  cuttings  as  are  contain- 
ed in  that  end  section  which  has  the  most ;  and  its  correctness  admits  of 
yerification  thus, 

1.  i  sum  of  distances  between  the  extreme  cuttings  of  the  end  sections 
equals  the  distance  between  the  extreme  cuttings  of  the  mid-section.  This 
proves  it  horizontally :  to  verify  it  vertically, 

2.  Where  the  number  of  cuttings  of  both  kinds  is  the  same  in  each  end 
section,  ^  sum  of  all  the  cuttings  of  the  end  sections,  equals  the  sum  of  aU 
the  cuttings  of  the  middle  section. 

3.  Where  the  number  of  cuttings  in  the  end  sections  is  different,  to  prove 
the  cuttings  of  excavation,  ^  sum  of  the  cuttings  of  the  end  sections,  equals 
the  sum  of  the  cuttings  of  the  mid-section  ;  minus,  least  outer  cutting  left  of 
centre  multiplied  by  ^  the  difference  in  the  number  of  cuttings  in  the  end 
sections  on  the  left ;  plus,  least  outer  cutting  right  of  centre  multiplied  by 
the  difference  in  the  number  of  cuttings  on  the  right. 

Though  this  last  rule  is  long  in  words,  it  is  short  in  practice,  and  of 
course  only  refers  to  the  excavation  or  plus  cuttings  in  proving  excavation, 
while  the  same  process  applied  to  the  minus  cuttings  will  verify  the  embank* 
ment  of  the  middle  section. 

The  exemplifications  which  will  be  given  apply  to  the  graduation  of  a 
road,  or  railroad,  but  the  principles  apply  equally  to  a  canal,  as  the  tow 
path  and  berm  banks  above  bottom  are  constant  quantities. 

In  ail  the  following  examples  the  slopes  are  considered  to  be  the  same  on 
both  sides  of  the  centre,  which  is'^upposed  to  divide  equally  the  surface  of 
grade,  or  the  base  as  it  will  be  called.  The  sections  numbered  1 :  and  3 : 
will  uniformly  be  presumed  to  be  those  taken  in  the  field,  while  No.  2 :  will 
represent  the  middle  section*deduced  from  the  end  sections,  1 :  and  3 :  the 
distance  between  which,  will,  for  convenience,  be  assumed  at  30  feet  in  every 
case.  Excavations,  as  to  figure,  are  merely  embankments  inverted,  and 
hence,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the  same  principles  apply  to  both. 

In  all  the  examples,  the  results  obtained  by  rules  No.  1  and  2,  will  also 
be  set  down  for  the  sake  of  exhibiting  how  great  in  some  cases  the  difier- 
ences  are:  the  base  will  be  assumed  at  30  feet,  the  slopes  at  2  to  1,  and  C, 
C,  will  represent  the  centre  line  of  the  road. 


Example  of  Case  1 :  Modification  1 :  Jig.  6,  plate  I. 

A  =  30. 


1. 
ft 


304-54 

2 
30  +  54 

2 
30  4-64 


Multi{^er8. 


X6 


X6x4 
X6 


Areas. 
252 

1008 

252 


6U512 


30x   252 

By  rule  No.  1 
By  rule  No.  2 


Cubic  yiK 


=  290 
=  280 
=  280 


Jow'.Frtjnk.  Instituu. 


ruLJorypuuei. 


,.  ^i   i»:  ■'*^- 


Fin  ? 


io. 


Fw.3. 


lo- 


fi- 


ll ^i 


2:v 


I 


i7. 

Fu,. 

6. 

\ 

V. 

/«. 

^ 

JX 

.1 

/. 

A5. 

\ 

n. 

■  •  - 

..       2Z^ 

■N 

■          1 

'    is. 

lA. 

.? 

4. 

/.». 

\ 

n.      \ 

t7. 

I- 

il. 

It. 

^ 

y.-v. 

.*> 

■/. 

A''. 

^ 

^.^-      i 

I 


■cHU 


I 


.  /•  V//  •.  J-i  ;////■.  Iitsllltlt,'. 


/-Uf.P. 


FOL.XTJ'.rfiiul/. 


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^  '-  '-al  A-Vv.  -O.'  _^  *3i 


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i^..,-^—'. —.i:'.,    ...■ '- — ■^■'.  jA:..  ^tw 


Example  of  Case  1:  Modificati&n  2:  fig.  7,  flate  I.  306 


Embankment 


Multipliera.  Areas. 

1.  15x4        =60 

2.  15x4x4  =  240 

3.  15x4        =   60 

6360 

30x  60    = 

By  rule  No.  1  = 

By  rule  No.  2  = 


Cub.  yds. 


66| 
66| 
6C| 


^Example  of  Case  2:  Modification  1 
'  fiff-  8}  plate  1. 


1. 


Multipliers. 
30  +  54    ^ 
X6 


2 

2.30  +  46 

2 
3.30  +  38 


X4x4= 
x2    = 


Areas. 
252 


608 


68 


6)928 

30xl64i  = 

By  rule  No.  1 
By  rule  No.  2 


Cub.  yds. 


Excavation. 
Multipliers.  Areas. 

15x2        =    30 
15x2x4=tl20 
30 


15x2 

6  180 

30x   30    = 

By  rule  No.  1  = 

By  rule  No.  2  = 

Example  of  Case  2:  Modification^: 
fig.  9,  plate  II. 


Cub.  yds. 


33i 
3Si 
33f 


1718 
177-8 
1670 


Multipliers. 
30  +  62 
— g— X8 

30+46 


X4x4  = 


0x15 


Areas. 


368 


608 


6)976 


■f-' 


JV 


Example  of  Case  3:  Modification  1 
Multipliers. 

Add 


30  x  162f  =  180  7 

By  rule  No.  1  =  204  4 

By  rule  No.  2  =  136  3 

fig.  10,  plate  II 


Cub.  yd*. 


>'tu-  fi; 


'\~:mymi 


:W 


Deduct 


37x14  =  518 
11x10  =  110 
18x  5=  90 
13x  6^   78 

_      _       '^ 
16*  +4'  =272 

J  524 

Add     17  5x105  =  18375 

15    X  28  5  =  427  50 

23    X  6    =138 

19    X  55  =  10450 

,.7-   Xl4-   =  98- 

_    _     95175 

Deduct    18'  +  5=^  =  349 
Multiplied  by  4, 


Add 


t 


*^.i. 


-.*■ 


Dedaet 


602  75 
19X21=399- 
16x20  =  320- 
12x14  =  168- 
10x12  =  120 
8x15  =  120 

_    _    1127 

8^+'(^  =  436- 


'..awwi  ^j.i\-i^J 


691 

30x 
By  «ile  No.  1 
IsSf  rule  Na  2 


Areas. 

Cubic  yd«. 

' 
t 

524 

\ 

2411 

691 

3626 
6041    = 

6715 
6750 
6729 

306       Example  of  Case  3:    JHodiJication  2:  fig.  11,  plate  III, 

Areas.         Embankment.  —  Multipliers. 
16x7=112 
6x5=   30 


Excavation.  —  Multipliers. 
6x    1=     5 
4x10=   40 
■  8X26  =  200 


Deduct 


_     245 
10»=100 


I  .X-:- 


& 


145 

45x   15  = 

675 

6-    X   7-   = 

=  35 

10  5x176  = 

:  183  75 

135x11-   = 

:  148  5 

374 

Deduct  13»  = 

=  169 

4x205 

'  I4x   2  = 

:         8 

4x  6  = 

24 

13x10  = 

130 

17X22  = 

374 

Deduct 


_    536 
16^  =  256 


280      -^ 


145 


820 


2iS0 


Deduct 


142 

"8'=   64 


115x55  = 
12f>x4  = 
10  6x3    = 

75x3  = 
14-    x6    = 

85x25= 


78 

6325 

50 

315 

225 

84- 

2125 


3725 


Deduct  11=  121- 


f.- 


.IT 


I 


■:^'> 


6)1245 
Mean  area  =  207  5 

*  CnKydsJ 

2075x30  =  230  6 
=  2361 


'.'  Excavation. 
Mean  area, 
By  rule  No.  1, 
By  rule  No.  2, 

Example  of  Case  3 
Embankment.  —  Multipliers. 
15x31=465 
12x10=120 

1.  11x10=110 
9x  4=  36 
6x  6=  36 
2X   5=    10 

J  777 

Deduct  18*  =  324 

463      = 
5  5x125  =  193  75 
11-   X   6    =   65 

2.  10  5  X   6    =  525 
9  5x   2    =    19- 
7    Xl3    =   91 
6-   X  25=   125 

42375 

i?=196 


4x1515 
15x11  =  165 
17x   8=136 
13x   6=   78 

7x   6=  42 
12x   5=   60 

7x   2=    14 


_      495 
Deduct  14' =  196 


299 


Areas. 


78 


606 


mV 


299 


6)983 


•i''-..  ^* 


Mean  area=163|^ 
Embankment.  Cub.  yds,' 

Mean  area,  163^  X  30  =  182- 

By  rule  No.  1,         ..    ,,         =2094 


*■ 


=  232  01  By  rule  No.  2.  =  196  6 

:  Modification  3:  fig.  12,  plate  IV. 


Deduct 


<■ 
^*»' 


4x227  75  = 
Carried  forward 


Areas. 


Excavation. 


■  Multipliers. 


Excavation 


J     IbK- 


Areas. 


,  ■■  ^- 


W 


911 


1364 


5-  X 
3-  X 
55x 


1- 

4- 
3 


=  6- 
=  12 
=   165 


10  5x105  =  11025 
12    xlO-   =120 

_      26375 

Deduct  10'  =  100- 


4x163  75  = 
Carried  forward 


655 
655 


<■ 


Mensuratidh  of  Excavation  and  Embankment. 


3. 


Brought  forward  1364 
8x20=160 
3x  5=   15 


Deduct 


10^=100 


75      = 


76 


6)1439 


Brought  forward  655  I 
5x   4=   20  I 

6x   8=  48 

11  X   6=   66 

21x21=441 

24x20  =  480 

1055 
Deduct  20*=  400 


Mean  area=   239f^ 

Embankment.  Cub.  yds.  Excavation 

Mean  area,  239*^  X  30  =  266-5jMean  area, 

By  rule  No.  1,  =293-3!By  rule  No.  1, 

By  rule  No.  2,  =2638'By  rule  No.  2, 


656      =   656 
6)l310~ 
Mean  area  =  218J 


Cub.  yds. 
218}x30  =  242<j:i 
=  364   'r 
=  2426: 


Example  of  Case  3 : 
ExcAvation. — Multipliers. 


Modification  4:  fig.  13,  plate  III 


1. 


Excavation  = 


•"H^^ 


2. 


!)■ 


26  X 

1    = 

26 

35  X 

25  = 

8-75 

55  X 

25  = 

1375 

9-    X 

5    = 

45 

12-    X 

26  = 

30 

105x18    = 

189- 

Deduct    9 


289 

=  81- 


4x208-     = 


3X 

2  = 

10 

7X 

5  = 

35 

11  X 

5  = 

65 

18x10  = 

180 

24x 

5  = 

120 

21x36  = 

756 

1156 


Deduct  18  =  324 


832      = 


trim 


Areas.  11 


Embankment. — Multiplen. 
115x10=115 
10  5  x  10  =  105- 


9  X  4  = 
75x10  = 
65 X  5  = 
6  X  5  = 
5  X  5  = 
5    X   2  = 


36 

75 

325 

30 

25- 

10 


4286 


Deduct   12  =144- 


115x2 

5  = 

105x2 

5  = 

9    xl 

= 

7-6  X  2- 

6  = 

65x125  = 

3-   x2- 

5  = 

2-5  X  2- 

5  = 

!•   X2- 

5  = 

832 


832 


6)1664 
Mean  area  =  277J 


Deduct 


2845    = 

28-75 
26-25 
9 

1875 
8125 
750 
626 
250 

_      107125 

6'=  36- 

4x   71125= 


Embankment  = 


Areas. 


284- "5 


h 


p. 


2S4-  6 


6)669 
Mean  area  =   94  83 


d 


o 


Hi 


ft 


■■■..« 


Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal. 


Mean  area,  94  83  X 30  =  105-4. 

By  rule  No.  1,  =  158- 

By  rule  No.  2,  =  105-4 


Mean  area,  277J  x  30  -  308  1 

By  rule  No.  1,  =4622 

By  rule  No.  2,  =3081 

Objections  may  possibly  be  urged  against  the  hypothetical  generation  of 
iitermediate  ground  by  means  of  middle  sections,  and  it  is  difficxilt  to  free  :•. 
this  subject  wholly  from  exception  ;  but  with  a  given  number  of  transverse  ; 
iections  taken  in  the  field,  if  close  attention  is  paid  to  the  inclination  of  the  . 
ground  as  developed  by  the  end  sections,  and  occasionally  where  it  is  very  ;. 
complex,  if  the  figures  are  simplified  by  introducing  additive  or  deductive- ; . 
solids,  we  have  not  yet  met  Avith  any  other  practical  method,  giving  results)  ■ 
equally  satisfactory. 

Various  expedients  are  known  to  engineers  for  facilitating  the  computa-  * 
Hon  of  the  areas  of  cross  sections,  to  attempt  an  account  of  which,  though 
it  might  be  interesting  to  students,  would  prolong  this  paper  to  an  inconve- 
nient length. 

The  above  examples  embrace,  as  we  have  stated,  specimens  of  the  prin*  - 
cipal  varieties  of  excavation  and  embankment;  and  a  little  attention  to  the  /' 
calculations  and  the  modes  of  deducing  the  middle  sections  between  those 
usually  taken  in  the  field,  will  enable  any  one  to  apply  the  "  Prisraoidal 
Process"  to  the  mensuration  of  earth  work  upon  canals,  roads  or  railroads. 
When  the  mean  areas  are  computed,  it  will  be  much  more  expeditious  to  get 
out  the  cubic  yards  from  the  t'lble  of  cubic  yards  previously  made  out  (sup-^. 
posing  the  stations  regularly  100  feet,)  for  each  foot  and  tenth  of  mean  area,    ;' 
from  01  up  to  the  largest  which  commonly  occur:  such  or  similar  tables;  '-■ 
in  manuscript  are  in  the  possession  of  many  engineers,  but  those  who  havei    . 
them  not  can  in  a  few  days  construct  a  set  by  simple  addition,  and  verify! '! 
them  byobserving  how  the  cubic  yards  for  the  preliminary  areas  of  the!  " 
first  hundred,  are  subsequently  repeated  in  the  same  decimal  place.  '  ; 

*  Indeed,  Mr.  Macneill's  tables  (if  extended  to  tenths  of  feet)  might  be  used ;.;  ; 
by  constructing  a  supplemental  set  to  show  by  inspection  the  height  or  cen-l  v>. 
tre  cutting  in  level  ground,  of  two  sections  with  the  given  base  and  slopes,:  ■» 
tQ  be  respectively  equivalent  in  area,  to  the  end  sections  of  any  given  lengthj  '^^'. 
of  excavation  or  embankment ;  or  these  heights  could  be  ascertained  by  thefj. 
aid  of  an  ingenious  formula  given  by  Mr.  Macneill,  and  being  found  might'  v- 
then  be  wrovght  with  in  entering  the  tables  according  to  the  directions  laid'  ■ 
down :  either  of  these  proceedings,  by  determining  a  true  mean  cutting  at 
each  end,  would  obviate  the  necessity  of  a  middle  section,  but  neither,  it  isi.^. 
believed,  would  be  altogether  as  satisfactory.  ; 

We  desire  to  be  understood  as  suggesting  the  application  of  th/B  preced- 
ing process  only  to  those  exact  calculations,  required  by  ihe  final  estimates:  ^^ 
of  sections;  for  running  estimates  or  those  on  lines  of  location,  less  accu-^ 
rate  bat  more  speedy  methods  will  answer  every  purpose. 

Oldtown,  Md.,  November  20/A,  1839. 

CHESAPEAKE   AND   OHIO   CANAL. 

'  This  Stupendous  undertaking  has  made  little  progress  fd^  some  years,  as  [ 
our  readers  generally  know.  In  the  last  report  the  company  "  only  ask 
the  State  to  waive  these  unproductive  liens  to  such  an  amount  as  may  be  ne- 
cessary to  finish  the  work  to  a  profitable  terminus,  on  its  own  resources. 
We  do  not  think  it  possible  that  this  application  will  again  be  refused  by 
the  legislature.  It  cannot  be  rejected,  unless  the  people  of  Maryland  have 
made  up  their  minds  to  throw  overborad  their  heavy  investment  in  the  Ches- 


Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Can*/,  'v,  :^    '^  •^;<:      3W 

apeake  and  Ohio  canal  wiihoul  an  effort  to  save  it,  and  fasten  upon  them* 
selves  and  their  posterity  a  permanent  system  of  direct  taxation." 

One  of  the  main  objects  of  the  report  is  to  show  that  the  interests  of  tb« 
company  demand  the  continuation  of  the  canal  to  the  mines,  and  that  they 
should  not  stop  their  works  at  dam  No.  6,  and  depend  on  the  railway  as  a 
feeder.  This  is  sound  reasoning  and  we  sometime  since  attributed  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  company,  to  the  circumstance  of 
their  owning  all  from  the  mines  to  tide  water.  It  appears  that  only  18 
miles  are  required  to  complete  the  canal  to  Cumberland  when  a  large  busi- 
ness is  certain.  The  amount  estimated  as  sufficient  to  finish  the  <:anal  to 
that  point  is  $1,500,000,  and  the  company  appear  to  be  sanguine  as  to  the 
practicability  of  raising  this  sum.  The  total  cost  of  the  canal  thus  far  ex- 
ceeds $12,000,000  and  before  even  5  per  cent,  can  be  paid  on  that  sum,  an 
immense  business  must  be  done. 

The  very  low  rates  at  which  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company 
offered,  last  winter,  to  carry  coal  has  greatly  alarmed  them,  and  they  ap- 
pear disposed  to  deny  the  accuracy  of  the  calculations  of  the  company. 
They  even  publish  a  correspondence  with  a  young  English  engineer  trav- 
elling in  this  country  who  positively  asserts,  that  the  company  "cannot  car^. 
ry  coal  and  iron  (except  at  a  loss)  for  one  and  one-third  cents  per  ton  per 
mile ;  and  experience  has  taught  us  in  England  that  railroads  cannot  com- 
pete with  canals  in  the  carriage  of  heavy  goods."  A  short  article  from 
Herapath's  Railway  Magazine  in  this  number,  will  perhaps  answer  the 
latter  position.  With  respect  to  the  cost,  the  weight  o(  authority  is  im- 
mensely in  favor  of  the  railway  ;  but  we  are  spared  the  necessity  of  discii8« 
sing  this  point  as  we  fully  agree  with  the  canal  company  in  the  importance 
ef  carrying  their  canal  as  near  the  mines  as  practicable.  We  also  consider 
canals  in  that  comparatively  mild  latitude  far  more  efficient  works  than  in 
New  York  and  northern  Pennsylvania  where  they  are,  with  very  few  ex- 
ceptions, incomparably  inferior  to  well  located  common  roads,  a  species  of 
communication  abnost  unknown  in  this  country  of  rivers,  lakes,  railways 
and  canals. 

We  see  no  allusion  to  the  company  working  their  own  mines.  To  thij- 
circumstance  we  attribute  the  success  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal 
company.  The  coal  in  the  cars  costs  them  about  40  cents  per  ton — ^thc 
mere  labor  of  mining — and  the  difference  between  that  sum  and  the  price 
at  which  the  coal  is  sold — $3,50  per  ton — goes  to  pay  the  cost  of  transpor- 
tation and  dividends.  If  the  Chesapeake  company  cannot  adopt  this  plan, 
and  secure  to  themselves  the  additional  value  which  they  confer  by  convey- 
ing the  coal  to  market,  we  see  little  prospect  of  that  undertaking  ever  be- 
coming successful ;  and,  unless  we  are  much  mistaken,  they  have  more  to 
expect  from  this  course — working  their  own  mines — than  from  any  other 
plan  they  can  adopt  Notwithstanding  the  low  price  of  coal,  we  under- 
itand  that  at  least  one  new  rente  to  the  anthracite  region  is  in  agitation,  with 


310  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

what  success  we  know  not  But  if  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  company 
divide  ten  per  cent,  while  the  Lehigh  and  Schuylkill  are  totally  unproduc- 
tive, might  not  a  work  similar  in  its  operations  to  the  first  prove  a  good  in* 
vestment  t 


"  BALTIMORE  AND  OHIO  RAILROAD. 

V.  We  recently  observed  in  a  Cincinnati  paper,  a  statement  that  B.  H.  La- 
trobe  Esq.,  chief  engineer  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  was  then  in 
Ohio  making  a  reconnoisance  for  the  route  of  a  railroad  from  the  Ohio  riv- 
er to  Cincinnati,  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad. 
The  importance  of  the  early  completion  of  the  railroad  to  the  Ohio  is  be- 
coming more  and  more  evident  every  day  to  all  who  give  the  subject  a 
thought,  and  it  is  truly  surprising  that  a  work  of  such  vital  importance  as 
well  in  a  national  as  a  local  point  of  view,  should  be  thus  delayed  for  want 
of  the  necessary  legislation. 

The  enterprize  and  energy  of  the  citizens  of  Baltimore  stand  out  con- 
spicuous in  the  magnitude  of  her  public  works.  They  were  among  the 
earliest  in  this  country  to  engage  in  the  construction  of  railroads,  yet  they 
hesitated  not  to  embark  more  largely  in  them  than  any  other  city  in  the 
Union  at  that  period ;  and  of  course,  as  with  those  who  commence  most 
new  enterprizes,  they  have  paid  somewhat  dearly  for  their  experience,  yet 
they  have  overcome  the  main  difficulties.  The  mountains  before  them, 
with  their  present  experience  are  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  what  they 
have  overcome  in  their  early  want  of  knowledge  of  what  could  be  accom- 
plished with  locomotive  engines,  in  the  prejudices  of  the  community  and  in 
a  powerful  competitor  for  the  right  of  way.  Let  them  therefore  press  upon 
the  legislatures  of  Maryland  and  Virginia  the  importance — the  necessity — 
indeed,  of  early  and  liberal  legislation  which  shall  insure  the  completion  of 
the  road  to  the  Ohio  at  the  earliest  period  possible. 

The  net  revenue  last  year,  when,  as  now,  only  about  half  completed  and 
terminating  in  a  small  village  near  the  mountains,  was  nearly  $300,000, 
and  this  year  it  will  be  very  nearly  if  it  does  not  exceed  $400,000.  An  in- 
come which  will  enable  them  if  the  shareholders  will  forego  their  dividends 
for  a  few  years,  to  raise  the  necessary  funds  to  complete  the  work ;  and 
thus  secure  to  Baltimore  the  great  thoroughfare  for  travel,  and  an  immense 
amount  of  transportation  between  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and  the  valley  of 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  thereby  giving  her  the  relative  position  occupied 
by  her  previous  to  the  completion  of  the  canals  of  New  York  and  public 
works  of  Pennsylvania.  Even  now  when  nearly  one  half  the  distance  be- 
tween Baltimore  and  the  Ohio  is  performed,  the  travel  in  stages,  and  the 
transportation  in  wagons,  it  is  immense.  The  long  line  of  post  coaches, 
with  their  sleek  horses  and  merry  drivers,  drawn  up  before  the  hotels  when 
the  cars  arrive  at  Cumberland,  reminds  one  forcibly  of  old  times  on  the 
route  between  Albany  and  Buffalo.  The  huge  mail  bags  and  ponderous 
trunks  are  piled  on  and  the  passengers  stowed  away  eight  or  nine  inside 


-i^  Baltimou  and  Ohio  Railroad.    '  311' 

and  often  one  with  the  driver,  when  crack  goes  the  whip  and  away  go&t 
No.  one,  two,  three  and  so  on  until  they  number  seren,  eight  or  nine  and 
o&en,  indeed,  ten  or  twelve  in  a  string,  bound  for  the  Ohio,  at  Wheeling  of 
Pittsburg — the  distance  being  about  130  miles  and  is  performed  in  about  34 
hours  steady  driving — whereas  the  distance  from  l^himore  to  Cumberland 
178  miles,  is  performed  in  less  than  ten  and  may  be  done  in  cighU  hours  in 
the  comfortable  cars  of  the  railroad  company,  with  very  little  fetigue.  Not- 
withstanding the  amount  of  travel  on  this  route,  the  enterprizing  proprie- 
tors, Messrs.  Falls  and  company,  have,  we  were  informed  and  should 
judge  from  what  we  saw,  always  a  supply  of  good  coaches,  so  that 
there  is  no  delay  at  the  termination  of  the  railroad,  as  at  Chambersburg 
on  the  Pennsylvania  route,  where  passengers  frequently  have  to  lay  over 
a  day  for  a  seat 

The  passenger  cars  on  this  road  are  unusually  spacious,  and  the  seatff 
are  so  constructed  as  to  enable  those  who  have  been  riding  all  night  in  the 
stage  to  rest  and  sleep  if  they  desire,  and  also  to  prevent  easy  access  to  their 
coat  pockets  by  those  whose  fingers  are  habitually  that  way  inclined.  Their 
c(mnection  is  also  both  simple  and  safe.  An  iron  rod,  1^  inch  diameter  pas- 
sea  the  whole  length,  under  the  bottom  and  through  a  plate  of  spring  steel 
in  the  centre,  which  serves  both  as  spring  and  buffer,  to  prevent  unpleasant 
concussions  at  starting  and  stopping ;  these  rods  arc  then  connected  by  a 
small  bar  of  wood  which  is  ample  to  sustain  the  direct  pull  of  the  train  but 
very  likely  to  break  when  the  locomotive  runs  off  the  track  and  thns 
avoids  carrying  the  cars  off  with  it.  We  commend  this  mode  of  connec- 
tion to  other  companies  as  well  worthy  their  adoption: 

Cast  iron 'wheels,  cast  on  a  chill  are  used  for  their  locmnotives,  in  pre- 
ference to  wrought  tyre.  They  are  much  cheaper  and  are  spoken  of  as 
equally  safe  and  less  likely  to  slip  on  the  rail  They  also  use  the  steel  jour- 
nal and  chilled  boxes  in  preference  to  the  plain  iron  journal  and  composi- 
tion boxes — by  which  there  is  a  great  economy  of  oil.  As  an  evidence  <^ 
the  truth  of  this,  we  examined  a  car  at  Newcastle,  on  the  Frenchtown  road, 
having  steel  journals  and  chilled  boxes  which  were  filled  with  palm  oil  in 
the  spring  of  1843,  and,  though  it  has  been  used,  we  were  informed,  as 
much  as  any  other  freight  car  on  the  road,  (zixteen  miles  in  length,)  yet 
there  is  still  an  ample  supply  of  oil  in  the  boxes  to  last  the  season,  or  until 
January  next 

The  travel  over  this  road  will,  within  fi^ve  years  from  the  time  of  its  com- 
pletion, give  a  gross  income  of  over  $1,000,000  per  annum ;  and  the  freight 
and  U.  S.  mail  an  equal  or  greater  amount  Indeed  it  is  difficuh  to  fix  a 
limit  to  the  amount  of  business  which  will  pass  over  it ;  connecting  as  it 
will  at  the  shortest  portage,  the  Atlantic  and  its  vast  seaboard  and,  indeed, 
all  Europe  on  one  side  with  the  Tallies  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  and 
Oregon  on  the  other.      .       • 

Notwithstanding  the  IfH^  Increase  of  bostness  the  present,  over  the  past^ 


312  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 


it  will  be  still  greater  next  year.  The  company  now  have  a  contract,  ope- 
rations under  which  are  to  commence  by  the  1st  of  November  next,  for 
over  fifty  thousand  tons  of  freight  from  one  concern  annually.  To  accom* 
modate  this  large  increase  of  business  they  are  now  having  made  at  tho 
manufactory  of  Ross  Winans,  Esq.,  six  locomotives  of  the  heaviest  class, 
and  a  large  number  of  iron  cars  for  coal.  These  engines  are  now  nearly 
completed  and  will  probably  be  in  une  most  of  them  by  the  Ist  of  Novem- 
ber ;  they  are  to  weigh  about  45,000  lbs.  each  and  to  have  eight  wheels  ol 
33  inches  diameter,  all  connected  as  propellers  or  drivers,  and  to  be  geered 
by  spur  and  pinion  wheels,  so  as  to  make  about  one  and  a  half  revolutions 
for  each  revolution  of  the  main  crank  or  shaft  immediately  operated  upon 
by  the  steam  power.  This  will  give  the  engine  a  speed  equal  to  four  feet 
driving  wheels  without  cog  gearing ;  and  enables  the  proper  speed  of  the 
engine  to  be  maintained  without  working  the  cylinders  faster  than  is  judi- 
cious, while  driving  wheels  of  very  small  diameter  are  used.  ,  ;.jk 

When  engines  have  eight  propelling  wheels,  with  axles  parallel  to  each 
other  (as  is  the  case  with  these)  the  safety  and  facility  with  which  they  will 
pass  curves  and  through  turn-outs,  is  materially  increased  by  the  use  of 
small  wheels.  They  resist,  much  more  effectually,  the  increased  tendency 
of  the  engine  to  run  off  the  track  occasioned  by  so  large  a  number  of  axles 
in  a  parallel  position  to  each  other ;  yet  this  parallel  position  of  the  axles  is 
necessary  in  order  that  all  may  be  connected,  in  the  most  simple  manner,  to 
wit,  by  cranks  and  connecting  rods  from  one  to  the  other.  *ff 

The  cylinders  are  17  inches  diameter  and  24  inch  stroke  and  so  arranged 
as  to  cut  the  steam  off  at  half  stroke  and  work  the  other  half  expansively, 
or  to  work  full  stroke,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  engine  driver  as  the  varying 
grade  of  the  road  or  different  loads  require.  They  are  also  provided  with 
a  variable  exhaust,  that  is,  the  exhaust  pipe  in  the  chimney  may  have  its  ap> 
perture  contracted  or  extended  at  pleasure,  thereby  giving  the  conductor  con- 
trol over  the  steam-generating  power  of  the  engine,  which  can  in  no  other 
way  be  so  effectually  had.  By  this  means,  together  with  the  variable  cut 
<^,  these  engines  are  probably  capable  of  exerting  greater  power  than  any 
other  engines  heretofore  built  either  in  this  or  any  other  country  ;  they  can 
also,  at  a  moment's  warning,  do  the  work  of  the  lightest  class  of  engines 
with  greater  eeconomy  even,  than  with  those  light  ones  now  in  general  use. 
This  is  highly  important  on  any  road,  but  especially  so  on  undulating  roaids 
where  the  duty  of  an  engine  is  constantly  changing  from  heavy  to  light  and 
light  to  heavy,  etc.  The  boilers  will  have  about  1000  square  feet  of  fire 
surface  and  12  square  feet  of  fire  grate;  to  be  arranged  for  the  use  of  Cum- 
berland coal.  The  tubes  are  of  iron — welded  by  hand — 2  inches  in  diame» 
ter,  8^  feet  long  and  212  in  number." 

i.  The  company  are  also  constructing  a  large  number  of  coal  cars,  on  a 
plan  which  it  is  believed  will  effect  a  considerable  saving  in  the  cost  of  trans- 
portatioa     The  body  is  of  peculiar  form,  combining  the  strength  of  the 


Railways  and  Canals. — Engineering  Extraordinary.         313 

cylinder  and  the  cone ;  resting  on  springs  and  placed  on  six  wheels ;  weight 
designed  to  be  2|  tons  and  to  carry  7  tons  of  coal,  or  at  least  ten  per  cent 
more  coal  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  cars,  than  those  now  in  use  on  the 
road,  which  are  believed  to  be  equal  to  the  best  in  use  on  other  roads — 
weighing  about  3 J^  tons  and  carrying  7  tons  of  coal.  These  cars  are  so 
constructed,  being  upon  springs,  as  to  avoid  much  of  the  heavy  concussion 
to  which  such  heavy  loads  are  liable,  on  a  railroad  at  the  usual  speed ;  and 
they  are  also  constructed  with  a  special  view  to  adjusting  themselves  to  the, 
curves  on  the  road,  by  means  of  steel  bearings  or  springs,  placed  edgewise, 
the  ends  made  fast  to  the  frame  and  the  centre  to  the  box  which  receives  the 
journal  of  the  axle  and  thus  the  three  axles  are  allowed  to  conform  to  the 
Ottrve  and  then  to<  return  to  their  position  on  a  straight  line,  or  to  conform  to 
♦  teiverse  curve.  ' 


Railways  and  Canals. — In  the  appendix  to  a  statement  issued  on  be- 
hk\{  of  the  Grand  canal  company  of  Ireland,  in  the  matter  of  the  proposed 
railway  to  Cashel,  there  are  given  some  curious  details  as  to  the  effect  of 
railways  on  canal  property.  Thus,  the  Grand  Junction  canal,  which  forms 
the  first  90  miles  of  water  communication  between  London  and  Birming- 
ham, had,  in  the  three  years  immediately  preceding  the  opening  of  the  rail- 
way, an  annual  revenue  from  tolls,  ranging  from  £174,722  to  £198,000, 
regularly  increasing.  Since  the  railway  has  been  fully  in  operation,  this 
i«venue  has  varied  from  £121,139  to  £113,012.  The  Rochdale  canal  is 
33  miles  long,  and  throughout  the  entire  distance  the  Manchester  and  Leeds 
railway  runs  parallel  to  it.  In  the  three  years  previous  to  the  opening  of 
thedailway  the  tolls  renged  from  £62,059,  to  £59,268 ;  in  the  last  three 
years  they  have  varied  from  £31,533  to  £27,165.  The  Kennet  and  Avon 
canal,  and  the  Wilts  and  Berks  canal,  are  both  affected  by  the  Great  West- 
ern railroad,  and  the  tolls  of  the  former  have  fallen  since  the  railway  was 
opened  fiom  £46,7()3  to  £32,045,  and  of  the  latter,  from  £19,328,  to  £8,477. 
The  Fourth  and  Clyde  Navigation  has  gone  down  from  £62,516  to  £42,- 
318;  and  the  Union  canal,  which  connects  Edinburgh  with  the  Fourth  and 
^yde  canal  has  liad  its  net  profits  reduced  by  railways  from  £12,000  to 
£4,!iJ84.  The  market  price  of  canal  slock,  has,  of  course,  suffered  in  pro- 
portion. Thus,  shares  in  the  Grand  Junction  canal  have  fallen  from  £330 
to  £148  per  share  ;  Warwick  and  Birmingham,  from  £330  to  £180 :  Wor- 
cester and  Birmingham,  from  £84  to  £55  ;  Kennet  and  Avon,  from  £25  to 
£9;  and  Rochdale,  from  £150  to  £61^;  while  Coventry  canal  shares, 
which  at  one  time  were  as  high  ns  £1,200  per  share,  have  fallen  as  low  as 
£315. — Herapath! s  Journal. 

ENGINEERING   EXTR.\OKDINARY.  .5 

In  accordance  with  our  promise  we  submit  to  our  readers  a  specimen  of 
what  we  have  ventured  to  call  extraordinary  engineering.  We  should 
have  alluded  to  this  matter  long  since  had  we  sooner  received  a  copy  of  the 
evidence,  of  which  the  principal  extract  given  in  this  article  is  a  very  favor- 
able specimen. 

It  appears  that  a  parliamentary  committee  was  appointed  to  examine  the 
accuracy  of  the  statements  of  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  works  of  Can- 
|d%  who  asserted  that  a  canal  round  the  "  Cedars"  rapids  on  the  north  side 


814        jifis'isVi.Tv.;      Enginttring  ExiraordiivaTf.     v^.tAflks-^  i 

would  cost  above  £100,000  more  than  a  canal  on  the  south  side  of  the  St 
Lawrence.  The  only  engineer  giving  evidence  against  the  boaro — Mr. 
Casey — said  that,  the  lockage  being  the  same  on  both  aides  and  the  inciden- 
tal works  not  materially  diflerent  and  not  very  important  on  either  side,  the 
difierence  must  be  sought  for  in  the  earthwork.  But  the  total  cost  of  this 
by  his  estimate  little  exceeded  £100,000  and  at  the  prices  of  the  board  of 
works  actually  fell  short  of  that  sum.  On  seeing  the  estimates  of  the  board 
he  pointed  out  how  they  made  out  their  case.  We  give  one  of  his  objec- 
tions and  an  extract  from  Mr.  Killaly's  answer  or  defence,  which,  though 
not  exactly  a  refutation  of  Mr.  Casey's  charge,  is  quite  as  much  so  as  any 
other  part  of  his  paper. 

"  In  looking  over  the  estimates  just  submitted  by  the  board  of  works,  in 
order  to  answer  a  comprehensive  question  put  to  me  some  days  before  those 
documents  were  received,  I  perceive  that  the  line  on  the  north  side,  on  which 
the  board  base  their  estimates,  by  which  they  are  enabled  to  show  a  differ- 
ence of  £100,000  against  that  side,  and  by  which  a  reluctant  assent  to  the 
location  of  the  canal  on  the  south  side  has  been  wrung  from  the  right  hon- 
orable the  secretary  for  the  Colonies,  is  far,  very  far,  inferior  to  another  line 
connecting  the  same  points,  and  toell  known  to  the  board  of  works. 

"  By  the  'inland  route,'  surveyed  by  directions  of  the  commissioners,  in 
1833,  for  a  canal  100  feet  bottom,  by  10  deep,  one-sixth  larger  than  the  pre- 
sent canal,  there  are — 

Excavation,  -  -  -  -       .    cubic  yards,    8798913 

Embankment,  ....  «  310139 

i  3099062 

I  Less  one-sixth,  -  -  -  -       **  B16508 

Total  quantity  by  route  of  1833,     -            •            •       ~    -  2582544 
•     By  the  route  of  the  board  of  works,  there  are- 
Excavation,             ....            cubic  yards,  3076000 
Embankment,    .....              «  289066 

Total  quantity  bv  route  of  1842,  .  -  -  3365066 

«  "       '     "  1833,    -  -  -  2582544 

Difference  in  favor  of  route  of  1833,      -  cubic  yards,       782522 

N.  B.  See  "  note"  to  document  22.) 

This,  at  one  shilling  per  yard,  would  amount  to  nearly  £40,000 ;  but  I 
pass  this  by  at  present. 

"  The  entire  investigation  rests,  and  necessarily  so,  on  the  assumption, 
that  the  board  have,  in  their  comparison,  brought  forward  the  best  line  on 
each  side ;  for  there  is  no  more  justice  in  charging  one  line  with  difficulties, 
which  it  is  known  can  be  avoided,  than  in  giving  another  line  credit  for  fa- 
cilities of  which  it  is  known  it  cannot  avail  itself  You  will  please  observe 
that  I  refer  exclusively  to  surveys  made  by  government,  in  1833  and  1842, 
the  former  of  which  are  confirmed  by  my  examinations  of  this  year.  The 
difference  is  sufficiently  remarkable,  both  as  to  amount  and  direction,  and  I 
beg  leave  respectfully,  but  earnestly,  to  call  your  immediate  attention  to  it," 

Mr.  Killaly  says : 

"  Before  looking  at  those  voluminous  documents,  I  had  expected  to  find 
in  them,  at  least,  some  testimony  bearing  upon  the  question  at  issue,  worthy 
of  my  most  serious  attention ;  but  a  very  cursory  examination  of  it  has 
been  sufficient  to  convince  me  that  the  evidence  itself  is  of  a  character  to 


:;i:  --'^-- 


,  v.Sr 


.  '    Engineering  Extraordinarjf.  Vr  ^dlB 

preclude  me  or  any  other  professional  engineer,  from  attempting  to  analyse 
It,  with  a  view  to  useful  results.  That  portion  of  it,  adduced  in  support  of 
Mr.  Simpson's  charges,  consists,  for  the  most  part,  of  matter  which  I  may 
term  a  sort  of  ignorant  gossip,  almost  wholly  irrelevant  to  the«ubject.  It 
is  not  indeed,  wanting,  in  bold  assertions  of  opinion  ;  but  those  are  made  in 
language  which  is  alone  sufficient  to  prove  to  a  man  of  experience  that  the 
witnesses  by  whom  they  have  been  made  are  profoundly  ignorant  of  the 
very  nature  of  the  question,  with  respect  to  which  they  speak  so  confident- 
ly: The  evidence  is  curioosly  characterized  by  vagueness,  self-contradic- 
tion, confusion  of  ideas,  gross  exaggeration  and  positive  misstatements. 

There  is  but  one  point  in  which  the  witnesses  are  constant  and  consistent 
with  themselves,  and  with  each  other — they  all  display,  in  a  manner  that 
must  be  obvious  to  any  observer,  a  keen  anxiety  to  establish  Mr.  Simpson's 
charges,  by  means  of  reckless  assertion.  I  think  I  may  safely  add,  judg- 
ing from  internal  evidence  alone,  that  the  testimony  of  the  witnesses  has 
been  concocted  among  themselves,  or  that  their  minds  have  been  under  the 
guidance — not  to  say  direction — of  some  one  or  more  persons,  whose  busi- 
ness it  has  been  to  get  up  a  case  in  support  of  Mr.  Simpson's  accusation 
against  me.  These  witnesses  would  have  seem  to  have  been,  as  it  were, 
well  drilled  for  the  occasion.  From  this  description  I  do  not  except  either 
the  written  or  verbal  testimony  of  Mr.  Casey,  the  engineer,  employed  by 
Messrs.  Simpson  and  Harwood,  and  brought  forward  by  Mr.  Simpson  as  a 
witness  against  me.  This  gentleman  himself  states,  (I  use  his  own  words,) 
"the  object  of  my  examinations  and  report  was  not  to  furnish  an  estimate 
**  of  the  probable  cost  of  a  canal  on  the  north  side,  but  merely  to  show  that 
"the  Hon.  H.  H.  Killaly  was  wrong,  in  leading  the  public  to  believe  that 
"a  canal  on  the  north  side  would  cost  £100,000  more  than  the  south  side;*' 
and  accordingly  up  to  this  very  day,  he  had  not  made  any  estimate  in  full 
of  the  cost  of  constructing  a  canal  on  the  north  side :  on  the  south  side  he 
states  he  has  not  been  for  seven  years  ;  and,  in  answer  to  a  question,  he  says 
that  when  he  came  before  the  committee  he  was  not  aware  of  so  important 
a  point  as  the  scale  upon  which  the  present  canal  is  being  constructed. 
These  two  statements  are  characteristic,  in  all  respects,  of  the  whole  of  his 
testimony,  namely — the  absence  of  any  valuable  or  even  available  informa- 
tion, with  respect  to  the  particular  subject  which  he  pretends  to  examine. 
He  might  well  say  that  his  only  object  was  to  criticise  a  report  of  mine ; 
for  the  greater  part  of  his  entire  testimony  consists  of  a  sort  of  literary  stric- 
tares  on  my  report  to  the  governor-general,  of  the  1st  of  August  last,  and 
is  far  more  fit  to  form  articles  in  a  newspaper  opposed  to  the  government, 
than  to  be  submitted  to  a  committee  of  the  legislature,  with  a  view  of  guid- 
ing their  judgment  upon  a  scientific  point.  I  am  sure  that,  in  my  long  pro- 
fessional career,  I  never  met  with  anything,  purporting  to  be  the  production 
of  an  engineer,  which  so  clearly  evinces  a  determination,  fas  aut  -nefas^  to 
make  out  and  bolster  up  a  case  for  the  employers,  and  so  utterly  undeserv- 
ing of  serious  notice."    j  ,  jli. 

Mr.  Simpson's  main  charge  is  that  "  vessels  which  the  canal  would  be 
capable  of  bearing,  will  be  incapable  of  getting  in  and  out"  (Ey.  p.  59.) 
Mr.  Killaly  says  (p.  60,)  there  are  "  three  entrances  of  from  600  to  1200 
feet  in  width  each  and  with  a  depth  of  water  averaging  from  12  to  20  feet" 
Now  the  pilots  and  numerous  other  persons  in  the  neighborhood  and  two 
members  of  parliament,  Messrs.  Chesley  and  McLean,  testified  that  in  place 
of  channels  there  were  shoals  with  3^  to  8^  feet  in  the  deepest  places  1    Mr. 


316  v^  Englneeung  Extraordinary. 

Casey  says  "  no  trace  of  a  singlt  snch  channel  can  be  found."     This  ob* 
jedion  is  answered  as  follows: 

**  The  other  witnesses  brought  forward  by  Mr.  Simpson,  although  they 
do  not  pretend  to  science,  like  Mr.  Casey,  are  disqualified,  by  their  utter  ig- 
norance of  the  subject,  from  offering  any  opinion  to  which  I  can  pay  res- 
pect. They  consist  of  pilots,  wharfingers,  farmers,  a  stage-coach  proprie- 
tor, a  store-keeper,  a  doctor,  a  timber  merchant,  residing  at  Bytowa  and  the 
agent  of  an  insurance  company ;  the  latter  being  Mr.  Simpson's  step-soa ; 
and  the  whole  of  them,  not  excepting  the  merchant,  at  Bytown,  are  deeply 
interested  persons." 

We  fully  agree  that  Mr.  C.'s  scientific  pretensions  do  not  enable  him  to 
turn  3^  into  12  feet  of  water,  though  we  still  consider  pilots,  wharfingers 
and  even  members  of  parliament  capable  of  sounding  water  4  to  8  feet  deep. 
Yet  after  all  this,  Mr.  Killaly  says  there  are  "  two  channels  with  not  leis 
than  8^  feet  water,"  while  Mr,  Chesley  sa3rs  (p.  12)  "  I  found  in  not  less 
than  40  places  a  depth  not  exceeding  3  J  feet."  This  is  one  of  those  misstate- 
ments— we  use  exceedingly  mild  terms — which  admit  of  but  one  explana- 

.4ion. 

Mr.  Kiilaly's  only  argument  is,  that  those  daring  to  differ  from  him  may 
have  some  direct  or  indirect  interest  in  the  question  at  issue ;  and,  having 
shown  or  asserted  this,  he  considers  their  evidence  proved  unworthy  of  cre- 
dence. The  extent  to  which  he  believes  in  this  ennobling  principle  is  bound- 
less and  openly  avowed;  it  would  be  merely  ridiculous  and  contemptible 
but  for  the  vast  power  vested  in  his  hands  which  he  has  exercised  in  con- 
structing works  of  the  most  absurd  dimensions.  The  difference  in  his  de- 
fence and  that  of  Mr.  Brunei  or  of  Mr.  Samuda  is  distressing,  and  power- 
fully illustrates  our  remarks  in  a  late  number  on  the  importance  of  charac' 
ter  to  the  engineer  who  aims  at  anything  higher  than  his  salary.  How 
diflferent  would  have  been  the  state  of  the  public  works  and  of  the  finances 
of  the  Province,  had  the  services  of  a  professional  man  been  obtained  with 
the  skill  and  charecter  of  an  engineer  and  a  gentleman !  Even  a  flying 
visit  from  Mr.  Brunei,  Mr,  Rennie,  Mr.  VignoUes,  Mr.  Stephenson  or  any 
other  experienced  British  engineer  might  have  saved  Canada  from  spend- 
ing immense  sums  on  works  which  are  not  merely  worse  than  useless  them- 
selves, but  which  act  so  powerfully  in  preventing  the  undertaking  of  works 
really  needed  by  the  country,  and  which  would  ag^in  by  their  success  lead 
to  the  rapid  extension  of  similar  communications  wherever  the  wants  of  the 
community  were  such  as  to  justify  the  necessary  outlay.  A  case  in  point 
has  just  occurred.  Suppose  that,  instead  of  building  a  canal  to  rival  the 
St  Lawrence — see  the  fable  of  the  frog  and  the  ox — a  railway  had  been 

>.  carried  to  the  lines  about  80  miles  at  half  the  cost  of  12  miles  of  ship  canal 
along  a  navigable  river.  Then  the  Province  would  have  saved  $800,000 
direct,  a  considerable  annual  sum  in  repairs,  would  have  possessed  a  work 
at  least  supporting  itself  from  the  beginning  and  which  would  soon  have 
paid  4  per  cent,  on  its  small  cost.  Then  we  should  not  have  seen  the  late 
impoilant  railroad  convention  at  Boston  take  place  without  an  allusion  to  a 


it:.- 


•>ir. 


•V* 


fc,,-- 


Reading  Railroad  for  16i&.  :  817 

tOniMunidation  unti  Montreal  via  the  Connecticut  and  Pasiumpsic  rivtrii 
The  object  then  would  have  been  to  carry  the  line  as  for  north  as  possible) 
now  they  propose  striking  the  south-east  corner  of  Vermont  So  that  by 
utterly  neglecting  the  cheap  railway  for  the  extravagant  ship  canal,  the  im* 
mediate  benefits  of  the  former  are  all  lost  to  the  present  generation  and  its 
actual  completion  either  delayed  to  a  distant  period,  or  it  may  be,  altogeth- 
er prevented.  Such  is  the  inevitable  result  of  placing  the  public  works — 
the  most  important  of  all  interests  in  a  new  country — in  the  hands  of  polit- 
ical adventurers  as  ignorant  of,  as  they  are  indifferent  to,  the  interests  of 
the  confiding  people  on  whom  they  batten. 

We  also  find  that  some  months  after  the  work  had  been  commence4  the 
board  was  ignorant  of  "  the  nature  of  the  bottom"  of  the  shoals  to  be  exca- 
rated,  (p.  23)  and,  to  cap  the  climax,  that  the  board  bad  never  met !  (p.  12). 
There  was  therefore  nothing  to  interfere  with  the  little  arrangement^  of 
Messrs.  Killaly  and  Wakefield  whether  of  an  engineering  or  financial  na* 
ture.  We  are  informed  that  the  latter  is  generally  considered  to  be  the  au- 
thor of  the  paper  from  which  we  have  made  extracts,  and  it  is  every  way 
worthy  of  "  his  long  professional  career."  Of  the  "  career"  in  which  the 
former  has  displayed  his  "  great  scientific  acquirements,"  (p.  40)  we  shall 
one  of  these  days  be  able  to  speak  with  equal  confidence. 


Far  the  Americon  Railroad  JoArnal  and  Mechanio'  Magazine. 

READING  RAILROAD  FOR  1845. 

The  advantages  under  which  this  railway  will  operate  in  1845,  and  whicli 
It  had  not  in  1844,  although  it  will  have  delivered  in  this  last  year  400,000 
tons  besides  the  travel  and  merchandize,  may  be  enumerated  as  follows: 

1st  Full  connection  with  all  the  mining  points  in  the  Schuylkill  region. 

2d.  Motive  power  improved  by  Baldwin's  jointed  locomotive  to  treilt  its 
former  power,  with  ./cm  wear  and  tear  to  machine  and  road. 

3d.  A  full  complement  of  cars  adequate  to  the  delivery  of  one  million  of 
tons  per  annum. 

4th.  Ample  wharf  accommodation  for  renting  two  millions  of  tons  per 
annum,  if  required. 

5th.  The  toll  on  coal  in  place  of  $1  to  1,25  per  ton,  will  be  raised  to 
%\fit  to  1,50  per  ton. 

6th.  A  double  track  of  solid  railway  the  whole  length  of  the  line,  im* 
parting  to  all  these  advantages  despatch  and  regularity  ;  and  as  their  final 
and  collective  consexjuence,  producing  an  economy  never  before  realized  on 
any  other  railway  in  the  world,  moving  such  a  mass, 

It  is  now  certain  that  8  to  900,000  tons  of  coal  will  descend  the  Schnylkill 
avenue  in  1844,  and  with  only  a  moderate  increase,  it  may  be  expected  that 
1,000,000  of  tons  will  descend  it  in  1845.  Of  this  quantity  the  railway 
will  have  the  carriage  of  at  least  7  to  800,000  tons,  to  which  it  will  be  fot 
ly  competent  The  result  for  that  year,  on  the  above  premises  and  assum- 
ing that  the  proprietors  of  this  road  will  see  the  advantage  oi  txdiuiv^ 


318  Reading  Railroad  for  \9^.         ;!   ., 

and  at  once  adopting  Baldwin's  improved  motive  power,  would  then  be 
somewhat  as  follows.  It  is  a  case,  which  will  be  found  an  exception  to  the 
prudent  rule  of  stopping  to  count  the  cost.  * 

Coal,  800,000  tons  (equal  to  2700  tons  per  day  for  300  dajs)  at  an  aTerage  of 

«l,40perton, $1,130,000 

Travel  and  merchandize,  $15,000  average  per  month,         .  -  «  1^,000 

1,300,000 

EbcPENSES. 

Transporting  coal  at  25  eta.  per  ton,  -  .  «  200,000 

do.  travel  and  merchandize  at  25  per  cent.         ...        45,000  ''i 

Maintenance  of  way  at  $700  per  mile  of  double  track,           •  70,000 

General  charges, 65,000—     380,000 

S920  000 
Interest  on  $6,500,000  of  loan  at  6  per  cent.  •  •  390,000 

do.  1,000,000      do.        5  per  cent.         ...       50,000—     440,000 

Capital,         2,000,000  (equal  to  24  per  cent,  for  contingencies  and  dividend,)    $480,000 

$9,500,000 

In  explanation  of  what  is  meant  by  Baldwin's  improved  motive  power, 

subjoined  is  an  estimate  of  its  cost  per  ton,  compared  with  that  of  the  old 

mode  of  transportation  as  collected  for  <Aw  road.  '  '^^ 

Items  of  expense.          Common  8  wheel  12  ton  engine.  Jointed  6  wheel  IB  1-2  ton  engine. 

Wooden  can.               Amount.  Iron  can.                      Aisomi|> 

Elngine  drivers  pay,           2  days,    $2  per  day,  $4,  same                                            4, , 

Fireman's          do.            2    "          1,25    "        2,50  do.                   S                      K"1 

Conductors        do.           2    «          1,30    "        2,60  do.                                           2,60 

Brakeman's       do.             6               95    "        5,70  <lo.                  8                     8, 

Fuel,                                wood  and  coal  mixed  18,  do.                                         29^ 

Oil  for  engines,                  2  galls.        86  cts.         1,72  do.                    2 1-3                 2,12 

Repturs  engine  &  tender,  IW)  ms,  pr  trip  6  cts.  10,80  do.                   5  cts.                9, 

Repairs  cars,                     185  te.,  w'd  c'rs  9  cts.  16,65  500  tons,  iron  cars  5  cts.         25, 

Oil  and  grease  for  cars,      do.            1  1-4  cts.     2,31  do.                    12  1-2  cts.        7,50 

Supplying  water,                                                        50  86 

Renewals  of  sundries,  1,72  4,28 
Prop'n  of  assist,  engine  at 

1  mile  42  feet  grade,                        •                2,50  2,65 
Cost  of  a  trip  of  2  days 

or  of  180  nules,  $69  "19^ 

Gross  load  of  train,  340  775  <3 

Number  of  cars  hauled,  56  of  1 1-3  tons  each,  100  of  5  tons  each. 

Net  weight  of  coal,  185  500 

Making  a  cost  per  ton  of,        3730  cts.  1860 cts.  '^ 

The  improved  jointed  Baldwin  engine  of  16J  tons  is  guaranteed  by  the 

builders  to  haul  500  tons  at  a  trip  as  its  regular  load  and  to  that  it  will  ulti- 

nately  be  appointed.     These  engines  could  thus  be  made  to  deliver  one 

million  of  tons  running  three  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  miles,  while  with 

the  old  ones,  it  would  require  ten  hundred  thousand  miles,  that  is,  in  the 

one  case  barely  one  ton  is  carried  to  the  mile  run,  while  in  the  other,  it  is 

nearly  three  tons.     The  above  comparative  table  of  items  shows  that,  on 

this  new  system  of  transportation,  that  25  cents  per  ton  for  motive  power 

and  wagons  is  a  full  charge  for  the  road.  » 

It  is  not  long  since  that  ridicule  was  the  sure  portion  of  him  who  a«sert- 

ed  that  the  freight  of  coal  on  this  road  would  not  cost  over  55  cts.  per  ton, 

while  now,  thanks  in  good  part  to  Messrs.   Baldwin  and  Whitney,  it  has 

been  reduced  down,  to  from  20  to  25  cts.  per  ton.     It  is  gratifying  to  know 

that  this  valuable  invention  is  properly  appreciated,  ahd  that  they  now  have 


R^ilroaA  Oinvinttin.— 'American  Kailroad  Iron.  319 

tneir  hands  full  in  the  manufacture  of  these  admirable  machines,  from  8  tons 
up  to  20  tons,  for  many  of  the  railroads  in  the  United  States.  Their  work- 
shop  now  (gives  employment  to  350  hands. 

The  character,  capacity  and  general  appointments  of  this  railjiray  are 
therefore  such,  that  if  it  ultimately  costs  ten  millions  of  dollars  it  will  be  a 
cheap  machine  at  that  rate  ;  and  if  from  the  untoward  circumstances  of  the 
times  through  which  it  has  been  completed,  this  cost  has  been  largely  but 
unavoidably  swelled,  the  expense  of  working  it,  has  been  more  than  pro* 
portionally  cheapened,  as  compared  with  the  original  estimates. 

Philadelphia,  Sept.  1844  P. 


RAILROAD   CONVENTION.  :'i. 


A  convention  of  citizens  from  Vermont,  New  Hampshire  and  Massachu- 
setts was  held  in  Boston,  at  the  Tremont  Temple,  on  Friday  the  20ih  of 
September,  for  the  purpose  of  calling  the  attention  of  the  citizens  of  Boston 
to  the  continuation  of  the  Fitchburgh  railroad  to  Connecticut  river,  and 
thence  to  Burlington,  Vt.  There  were  many  delegates  present,  represent- 
ing the  whole  line  to  Burlington ;  and  for  a  part  of  the  way  several  routes 
were  represented.  Abbot  Lawrence,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  was  called  to  preside, 
and  on  taking  the  chair,  he  made  an  address  very  appropriate  to  the  occa- 
sion, which  occupied  but  a  short  time  in  its  delivery — as  he  said  time  was 
precious — and  was  to  the  point.  He  spoke  of  the  advantages  which  Bostcm 
.  had  derived  from  railroads,  and  of  the  importance  to  Boston  of  extending 
the  system  where  it  can  be  done,  and  especially  into  Vermont  and  to  Bur- 
lington, that  there  may  be  a  direct,  easy  and  rapid  communication  with  the 
capital  of  Canada.  He  said  that  on  reading  the  report  which  had  been  put 
into  his  hands,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  his  duty  as  a  citizen 
of  Boston  to  subscribe  $10,000,  that  he  owed  it  to  the  people  of  Boston  and 
therefore  he  decided  to  take  that  amount  of  stock  ;  but  on  reading  the  letters 
of  the  Hon.  Charles  Hudson,  in  relation  to  the  advantages  of  the  road,  a  gen- 
tleman in  whom  he  had  the  utmost  confidence,  he  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
to  subscribe  $20,000  more  as  an  investment,  and  he  was  ready  to  do  it. — 
When  a  little  sectional  feeling  seemed  to  show  itself  in  the  discussion,  he 
urged  the  gentlemen  to  avoid  anything  which  might  defeat  or  defer  the  ob- 
ject of  the  meeting,  as  he  thought  the  present  was  the  time  to  press  forward 
this  work,  so  important  to  Boston.  A  committee  of  fifty  gentlemen  were 
appointed  to  fake  the  matter  in  hand  and  obtain  subscriptions  to  the  stock, 
which  will  undoubtedly  be  done,  notwithstanding  there  has  been  over  $!,• 
250,000  of  railroad  stock  already  subscribed  in  Boston  since  January,  1844. 
Had  New  York  but  a  few  men  like  Abbot  Lawrence  to  lead^  we  shoukl 
soon  have  a  railroad  to  Albany  and  another  to  lake  Erie. 

AMERICAN   RAILROAD   IRON. 

We  recently  visited  the  Mount  Savage  iron  works  near  Cumberland  in  Ma- 
ryland, mainly  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  what  progress  they  had  made 
in  the  manufacture  of  railroad  iron.  We  found  the  work  fairly  commenc- 
ed, a  large  quantity  made  and  they  were  then  about  to  commence  working 


:■/ 


•■» 


'•^iL.^',i^>A,m.'  £ Jr  ,tt',*-.jri 


« 


iJH?  T-vOL  fc;,'*'"  American  Railroad  Iron.       •  ;  '''•  f1 

a  double  set  of  hands — that  is  to  say,  day  and  night  The  rails  then  (m 
hand,  which  are  of  the  "  bridge"  form,  48  lbs.  per  yard,  or  a  part  of  them, 
were  to  be  laid  on  their  own  road,  to  connect  with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
road  at  Cumberland,  about  ten  miles,  which  will  thus  open  the  way  to  send 
'  the  bitumenous  coal  to  market  at  a  cheaper  rate  than  it  has  hitherto  been 
afforded  at 

The  works  of  this  company  now  in  operation  and  nearly  ready  for  use, 

.appear,  to  one  unused  to  such  operations  on  a  large  scale,  quite  extensive ; 

yet  we  Avere  informed  that  only  a  small  part  of  the  contemplated  Avorks  are 

:  built     Two  large  smelting  furnaces  are  completed,  one  was  then,  and  the 

\  other  would  be  in  a  few  days,  in  blast.     A  large  rolling  mill  with  eight  or 

nine  puddling  furnaces  in  full  operation  and  with  which  they  were  making 

railroad  and  other  iron  at  a  rapid  rate.     There  was  also  nearly  completed 

a  large  building  for  nail  works  and  another  for  a  cupola  furnace.     Dwel- 

-  lings  for  about  500  laborers,  and  a  large  storehouse  completed  and  in  use, 

;  constitute  the  present  establishment,  forming  quite  a  village  in  the  midst 

:  of  the  forest  and  surrounding  hills  which  rise  several  hundred  feet  a^ove 

the  lofty  chimneys  in  every  direction. 

The  position  for  the  works  is  admirably  chosen,  at  the  base  of  the  hill, 
T  where  it  is  so  steep  that  a  short  bridge  serves  to  connect  the  mouth  of  the 
fiimace  with  the  building  in  which  the  ore  is  prepared  ;  and  still  the  descent 
from  the  ore  bed  is  so  great  that  they  are  brought  down  to  the  furnace  main- 
ly by  gravity. 

The  quality  of  the  coal  of  this  region  is  admitted  to  beat  least  equal,  and 
by  many  deemed  superior,  to  any  other  bituminous  coal  used  in  this  coun- 
try ;  and  the  iron  ore  found  in  its  immediate  vicinity  is  considered  by  good 
judges  of  superior  quality — and  the  supply  of  both  is  believed  to  be  inex- 
haustible— therefore  we  are  induced  to  believe  that  at  no  distant  day,  the 
"  Mouijt  Savage  Iron  Works,"  will  become  celebrated,  as  well  for  the  qual- 
ity as  the  quantity  of  it  iron — and  especially  for  it  railroad  iron — 
and  that,  with  other  establishments,  especially  in  Pennsylvania,  which  are 
now  preparing  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  railroad  iron,  we  shall  be 
:  able  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two  at  farthest  to  make  all  the  iron — and  it 
,  will  not  be  a  small  quantity — which  we  shall  require  in  this  country. 

We  shall  refer  again  to  these  works  in  our  next  number  and  to  the  sub- 
ject of  the  manufacture  of  railroad  iron  in  this  country — a  subject  in  rela- 
tion to  which  much  will  probably  be  said  and  written  within  the  next  twelve 
months. 

CONTENTS: 


Page. 

Reading  railroad,  289 

Baltimore  and  Su.iqnehanna  railroad,  291 

Papers  on  practical  enginrerinp,  293 

Anotber  railroad  route  to  Boston,  296|Keadinp  railroad  for  1815,'  f 

Hentnration  of  excavation  and  embankment,  297 1 Railroad  convention,  (19 

Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal,  306 'Anaericao  railroad  iron.  ^*^ 


Raltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  310 

CanaU  and  railways,  *  (  818 

Engineering  extraordinary 


AMERICAN 

-"llAILROAD  JOURNAL,       ■ 

» 

AND 

-.      ..  i 

MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE.  ' 

I 

'-4'^'^t"l?!:r:^!lf^^^r'^:^^ef^^^'''i  JD.K.  MINOR,  Edho.       i 

'^.i^l^:L''l  NOVEMBER,  1844.  T*^^.^^''  ' 


5- 


NORTHERN    RAILRCJADSI 

The  highly  respectable   meeting  which  took  place  at  Boston  on  the. 
30th  uit.,  of  which  we  gave  a  sketch  in  our  last,  offers  strong  evidence  of  ^■ 
the  estimation  in  which  railways  are  held  by  an  intelligent  community  as,' 
Well  acquainted  with  their  working  as  any  other — more  so  than  any  other  :C 
in  this  country  we  may  safely  assert.     The  most  striking  feature  was  the  J  ^ 
calm,  business-like  view  taken  of  the  project,  the  care  with  which  the  cost, 
had  been  ascertained,  the  thorough  examination  of  the  sources  of  incom^^-i' 
and  lastly  the  additional  traffic  which  might  reasonably  be  expected  froni^j 
the — sooner  or  later — inevitable  extension  of  the  road  to  Burlington  on  lake  % 
Champlain.     There  was  no  false  excitement,  no  promises  of  30  per  cent"  j  . 
dividends ;  but  the  object  was  to  state  everything  connected  with  the  propo-  V; 
sed  undertaking  so  clearly  and  fully,  as  to  enable  every  one  to  judge  witk,- 
confidence  whether  it  offered  sufficient  inducement  to  warrant  a  permaneoljT- 
investment.     Indeed  it  is  with  this  view  only  that  railways  are  constructed*' 
in  Massachusetts,  and  the  success  which  has  thus  far  attended  them  is  oSp: 
course  the  most  powerful  possible  argument  for  their  still  further  exten-t  - 
•ion. 

The  income  of  the  road  as  well  as  the  comparative  merits  of  differentj 
lines  in  this  respect  were  very  ably  discussed  in  three  letters  of  the  Hon— ■ 
Mr.  Hudson,  which,  though  not  free  from  error,  are,  on  the  whole,  at  least, 
equal  to  any  other  papers  which  we  have  seen,  having  for  their  object  th% 
exposition  of  the  advantages  of  a  contemplated  public  work.     They  attrao-f 
>  ted  much  attention  in  Boston  and  have  had  great  influence  with  those  des^^^* 
rous  of  investing  their  means  in  railways.     Their  effect  will  therefore  no^^ 
be  limited  to  the  extension  of  the  Fitchburg  railway,  but  will  be  generallj^" 
felt  in  their  influence  on  the  railway  system  of  the  commonwealth,  "  thai 
only  successful  system  of  public  works  in  this  country,"  whose  success  wf ; 
may  saffely  ascribe  to  their  being  conceived  in  the  spirit  which  pervades  Mr.t 
Hudson's  letters,  "the  adaptation  of  expenditure  to  income"  as  one  of 


322  Northern  Railroads. 


correspondents  defined  it  when  discussing  the  merits  of  another  system  of 
public  works  on  the  same  principles. 

There  is  great  reaf<on  to  believe  that  the  stock  of  a- railway  through  Mas- 
sachusetts to  the  Connecticut  river  will  be  v-ery  shortly  taken  up.  At  the 
above  meeting  held  in  Boston,  delegates  attended  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try which  any  of  the  proposed  lines  were  likely  to  pass  through.  Although 
a  strong  spirit  of  rivalry  showed  itself  among  them,  we  are  glad  to  know 
that  the  best  spirit  prevails  among  those  to  whom  we  must  look  for  the 
means.  The  great  object  of  the  road  appears  to  be  to  strike  lake  Cham- 
plain  at  Burlington  by  the  best  route.  On  this  point  there  is  of  course 
great  diversity  of  opinion,  but  it  appears  to  us  that  the  greatest  influence 
will  favor  a  route  avoiding  New  Hampshire,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
"  peculiar  institutions"  of  that  benighted  country,  but  also  with  the  object 
of  striking  the  Connecticut  river  as  low  as  possible  so  as  to  secure  the  trade 
of  that  valley  to  the  greatest  possible  extent  and  then  to  take  a  north-west 
course  to  Burlington.  We  alluded  in  our  September  number  to  the  advan- 
tages of  this  route  over  that  direct  to  Montreal  by  lake  Memphremagog  and 
the  "  Eastern  Townships,"  and  we  find  our  views  more  than  borne  out  by 
the  views  given  by  the  numerous  able  speakers  at  this  meeting.  The  di- 
rect line  to  Montreal  was  scarcely  alluded  to,  and  as  they  propose  crossing 
the  Connecticut  near  the  south  line  of  the  State,  it  leaves  the  advocates  of 
that  line  under  the  necessity  of  building  a  road  up  the  valley  of  that  river 
the  whole  length  of  the  State  of  Vermont.  So  far  therefore  as  Boston  is 
concerned  the  line  to  Burlington  will  receive  an  undivided  support  and  we 
consider  its  construction  pretty  certain. 

The  main  sources  of  income  relied  on  are  the  travel  and  trade  of  the 
country  on  the  line  of  road.  In  addition  to  this  however  they  will  secure 
ultimately  a  large  portion  of  the  trade  of  lake  Champlain  and  of  Lower 
Canada  now  coming  to  New  York.  They  look  forward  also  to  a  new 
route  to  the  west  via  Ogdensburg,  and  to  the  allowance  of  a  drawback  on 
foreign  goods  exported  to  Canada.  But  the  trade  and  travel  of  the  country 
itself  will  yield  a  fair  income  for  the  capital  invested. 

It  is  fortunate  that  the  powerful  aid  of  Boston  is  now  enlisted  in  favor  of 
allowing  a  drawback  on  exports  to  Canada  and  within  a  year  or  two  the 
requisite  permission  will  be  wrung  from  congress.  Then  the  trade  of  Up- 
per Canada,  the  most  valuable  portion,  will  centre  mainly  in  New  York, 
v^hile  the  trade  and  travel  of  the  Lower  Province  will  naturally  centre  in 
Boston  when  the  railway  to  Burlington  shall  be  completed.  We  again  ex- 
press our  surprise  at  the  indifference  with  which  the  completion  of  the  line 
to  Whitehall  is  regarded  in  Boston  as  well  as  in  New  York.  We  say  in 
Boston  for  it  would  materially  aid  their  Western  railway,  though  it  would  not 
be  able  to  compete  with  the  line  from  Burlington  either  in  cost  or  tim&  By 
this  latter  route  Montreal  will  be  brought  within  24  hours  of  Boston,  while 
it  would  appear  impossible  to  reduce  the  time  between  New  York  and  Mon- 
treal to  less  than  36  hours.     The  railway  froow  Syracuse  to  Os<^ego  wiU 


Public   Works  at  or  near   lAvtrpool.  !.',/"'^v<  •,        39S'?* 

bring  the  mtire  shore  of  Ontario  within  from  30  to  36  hours  of  New  York  • 
and  will  complete  the  main  lines  of  "  Northern  Railroads."  .i'ioi:^ 

The  excitement  is  by  no  means  confined  to  th«   States  of  Massnchusetta    , 
and  Vermont,  but  extends  to  New  Hampshire,  Canada  and  even  to  Maine. 
The  Portland  Advertiser  contains  a  well  written  letter  signed  '  P,'   which  ' 
gives  a  general  sketch  of  the  public  works  of  Canada  and  draws  attention  ' 
to  the  advantages  of  a   railway  from  Montreal  to  Portland,  the  entire  dis- 
tance being  246  miles,  or  only  20  miles  further  than  from  Boston  to  Bur- 
lington.    The  writer  also  says  ihat  "  Boston  may  be  reached  by  the  way 
of  Portland  as  easily  as  by  Concord,  and  by  29  miles  less  of  road  to  be .': 
built."     He  has  made  some  mistakes  in  the  dimensions  of  the  Welland  ca-  ' 
nal,  but,  on  the  whole,  makes  out  a  good  case  for  Portland  were  the  ques- 
tion simply,  which  is  the  best  route  from  Montreal  to  an  Atlantic  port  opea 
throughout  the  year,  irrespective  of  way  business,  of  existing  railways,  of 
established  lines  of  steamers,  of  the  interest  and  competition  of  Boston,  etc. 
We   have  already  stated   that,  in  our  opinion,  the  capitalists  of  Boston  will 
give  a  decided  preference  to  routes  in  their  own  State,  hence  a  rival  rout* 
to  the  north  must  not  only  not  depend  on  that  city  for  capital,  but  must  ac- 
tually be  able  to  enter  into  competition  with  its  numerous  powerful  compa- 
nies for  the  traffic  of  the  north.     It  is  useless  to  look  to  Montreal  at  thi» 
time.     Ship  canals  are  the  order  of  the  day  there  and  railways  are  consid-  - 
ered  beneath  their  notice.     Boston  holds  the  balance  in  this  matter,  and  will    : 
unquestionably  select  that  route  which  offers  the  greatest  immediate  return 
and  the  greatest  ultimate  benefit  to  that  commonwealth  of  citizens,  far  sur- 
passing in  enterprize  and  energy  all  the  other  States  of  the  Union  and,  itk 
proportion  to  wealth  and  population,  rivalling  England  itself 

PUBLIC    WORKS    AT   AND    NEAR   LIVERPOOL.  "J" 

Probably  there  are  no  places  in  the  kingdom,  not  even  excepting  the  me- 
tropolis, where  a  larger  amount  of  money  is  in  process  of  expenditure  in. 
the  construction  of  public  works  than  there  is  at  this  moment  in  Liverpool  ■ 
and  Birkenhead.     Almost  in  every  direction  on  both  banks  of  the  Mersey 
huge  preparations  meet  the  eye;  and,  without  entering  into  details,  which 
would   necessarily  occupy  much  space,  some  idea  of  their  extent  may  be '• 
gathered  from  an  outline  of  the  expenditure.     In  some  of  the  following  ^ 
items  the  estimates  include  the  cost  of  land.     In  Liverpool  there  are  the   u 
following  works  now  in  progress :  Assize  courts  (corporation,)  cost  £80,000;  '^ 
new  gaol  (corporation,)  cost  £100,000 ;  Albert  dock  and  warehouses  (dock  -^ 
committee,)  £600,000;  new  North  Dock  Works,  including  land  and  junc- 
tion with  Leeds  canal  (dock  committee,)  £1,.500,000;  reservoirs.  Green-    ; 
lane,  and  corresponding  works  (highway  commissioners,)  £50,000  ;  Indus- 
trial Schools  at  Kirkdiile  (select  vestry,)  £30,000;  gas  extension  (new  gas 
company,)   £140,000;  Shaw  street  park  (private  shareholders,)  £2,500:  , 
making  a  gross  total  of  £2,500,000.     All  this  is,  of  course,  independent  of 
many  other  works,  some  in  progress  and  others  in  contemplation,  with  pro*- 1  * 
pects  of  almost  immediate  commencement.     Among  those  in  progress  may  :> 
be  reckoned  Prince's  park,  now  forming  by  Mr.  Richard  Vaughan  Yates, 
at^be  foiuh^ea^xjfihftlown  :  the  new  Presbyterian  church  in  Myrtle  street  • 


334  '        >^    Ra/pid  Steamboat  Building.^iUfi^  >  ^ 

the  female  orphan  asylum,  the  Catholic  female  orphan  asylum ;  the  new 
northern  hospital  (towards  which  Mr.  W.  Brown  recently  contributed 
£1000 ;)  St.  Martin's  schools,  the  Catholic  magdalen  asylum  at  Much 
Woolton,  and  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church,  in  Edmund  street.  Besides  other 
works  in  contemplation,  we  may  mention  the  Daily  Courts,  on  the  site  of 
Islington  market  (now  discontinued  ;)  the  intended  additional  railway  tun- 
nel to  the  north  end  of  the  town,  by  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railway 
company  ;  an  additional  merchandize  station  for  the  Grand  Junction  railway 
company  ;  the  enlargement  of  the  Line  street  terminus  ;  and  some  improve- 
ments on  the  Bridgewater  property.  These  various  works  altogether  will 
probably  absorb  not  less  than  another  million.  So  that,  in  the  whole,  be- 
tween three  and  four  millions  of  money  will  have  to  be  raised  and  expend- 
ed before  the  various  present  designs  for  the  promotion  of  charity,  the  con- 
venience of  commerce,  and  the  improvement  of  the  town,  are  completed. 
But,  if  much  is  going  on  in  Liverpool  in  this  way,  more,  in  proportion  to 
population  and  means,  is  doing  on  the  Cheshire  side  of  the  water,  at  Bir- 
kenhead. Here  indeed  a  town  is  rapidly  rising,  which  will  not  be  excelled 
in  useful  or  ornamental  elements  by  any  place  in  the  kinghom  ;  and  the 
progress  of  which,  in  buildings,  as  well  as  inhabitants,,  during  the  last  four 
or  five  years,  has  been  unprecedented.  The  magnitude  of  the  public  works 
in  progress  at  Birkenhead  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  abstract 
which  is  taken  from  the  estimates :  New  market  (commissioners, )£20,000 ; 
town  hall  (commissioners,)  £10,000 ;  park  (commissioners.)  £25,000  ;  docks 
in  WuUasea  pool  (commissioners,  as  trustees,)  £400,000  ]  dock  warehouses 
on  the  margin  of  Wallasea  pool  (private  company,)  £600,000;  tunnel  from 
Monk's  ferry  to  Grange  lane  (Chester  and  Birkenhead  railway,)  £20,000; 
making  a  gross  total  of  £1,075,000  ;  and,  further,  a  proposal  has  been  made 
vt'hich  is  now  under  the  consideration  of  the  finance  committee  of  the  Liv- 
erpool corporation,  to  buy  the  freehold  of  all  their  Wallasea  estate,  and  pay 
for  it  in  ready  money !  Besides  the  works  n»med  as  being  in  progress,  a 
cemetery  and  infirmary  are  contemplated,  to  which  may  be  added  a  design 
for  the  erection  of  one  or  more  churches.  On  the  two  former  we  believe  it 
is  intended  to  expend  about  £15,000.  In  these  items  me  have  said  nothing 
about  the  sums  being  expended  in  sewerage  and  laying  mains  for  water  and 
gas ;  they  are  very  large,  and  in  this  present  year  they  will  exceed  any  of 
the  past.  After  these  statements,  it  will  be  admitted,  we  think,  that  there 
are  very  few,  if  any,  places  where  the  progression  in  works  of  a  public  na- 
ture is  greater  than  in  Liverpool  and  Birkenhead ;  and  that,  if  there  is  any 
rivalry  between  them,  it  should  only  be  as  to  which  shall  best  accommodate 
the  puhlic— Manchester  Guardian. 

Extraordinary  Steamboat  Expedition.— Five  weeks  ago  Messrs.  Ditch* 
burn  and  Mare,  the  iron  steamboat  builders  at  blackwall,  received  an  order 
to  build  another  steamer  for  the  Waterman's  steam  packet  company,  with- 
out delay,  and  entered  into  an  engagement  to  complete  her  ready  for  the  con- 
veyance of  passengers  in  five  weeks.  The  plans  and  drawings  were  at 
once  made,  the  keel  laid  down,  founders,  shipwrights,  joiners,  carpenters 
and  others  set^  work,  and  on  Saturday  evening  last,  four  weeks  and  four 
days  only  after  the  order  was  given,  and  the  keel  prepared,  the  new  sterner, 
which  is  called  Waterman  No.  12,  was  launched  and  conveyed  to  Debtford, 
to  have  her  engines  and  machinery  fitted  in  her,  Messrs.  Penn  and  Son,  of 
Greenwich  having,  in  the  same  space  of  time,  made  and  finished  two  oscil- 
lating engines,  of  sixteen  horse  power  each,  with  boilers  and  machinery. 
At  ten  minutes  before  five  o'clock  on  Monday  evening,  and  twenty-foui 


Formula  for  Calculating  Excavation,  Embankment,  etc.       325 

hours  before  the  expiration  of  the  five  weeks,  the  steam  was  up  for  the  first 
time,  and  away  started  the  vessel  down  the  river,  at  a  great  speed.  She  is 
capable  of  carrying  three  hundred  and  fifty  passengers  and  is  a  very  hand- 
some vessel  of  her  clfiss.  Waterman  No.  12  commences  running  between 
Woolwich,  Greenwich  and  the  Adelphia  pier  to-morrow.  The  fare  to 
Greenwich  has  been  reduced  to  4d.,  in  consequence  of  the  low  fares  charg- 
ed by  the  Gravesend  stedLmers.—Raikvay  Mag.     ^^   . 

Stonington  Railroad.~~The  total  receipts  for  the  year  ending  Aug.  31, 

1&42,  were $95,435  47 

For  the  year  ending  Aug.  31,  1843,       -        '  ^-  s;  •;;y;;    113,889  31 
For  the  year  ending  Aug.  31,  1844,  -  -  154,724  03 

,  This  shows  a  very  satisfactory  increase  ia  ike  business  of  the  road,  not-. 
withstanding  the  competition  of  rival  routeg.-<;    ~^^<_;     '  '':^'  ^ 

GENERAL  DEMONSTRATION  OF  THE  PRISMOIDAL  FORMULA,  USED  IN  EXCAVA- 
TION, EMBANKMENT,  AND  MASONRY  CALCULATIONS:  BY  EL  WOOD  MORRIS, 
CIVIL    ENGINEER. 

''  In  the  number  of  this  Journal,  for  January,  1840,  the  writer  endeavored 
to  develope  a  mode  of  measuring  excavation  and  embankment  solids,  which 
upon  the  general  Hypothesis  that  the  surface  of  all  ground  is  composed  of 
planes,  longi^dinally  and  transversely,  and  free  from  twisted  surfaces^ 
may  be  regarded  practically  as  accurate. 

This  method  was  made  to  depend  essentially  upon  two  points.  : 

1st.  That  the  formula,  expressing  the  capacity  of  a  prismoid,  is  the^ttup 
damental  rule,  for  the  mensuration  of  all  right  lined  solids,  whose  termi- 
nations lie  in  parallel  planes,  and  is  equally  applicable  to  each.  : 

2nd.  That  any  solid,  whatever,  bounded  by  planes,  and  parallel  end^ 
may  be  regarded  as  composed  of  some  combination  of  prisms,  prismoids, 
pyramids  and  wedges,  or  their  frustra,  having  a  common  altitude,  and  hence 
capable  of  computation  by  the  general  rule  alluded  to. 

From  these  premises,  the  inference  was  drawn,  that  any  such  solid,  (the 
middle  section  of  which,  parallel  to  the  ends,  could  be  ascertained)  was  sus- 
ceptible of  accurate  determination :  and  consequently  as  the  mid-section  of 
any  given  portion  of  excavation  or  embankment,  can  be  correctly  deduced 
from  the  data,  usually  taken  in  the  field,  that  therefore  the  capacity  of  these 
solid  portions  might  be  thus  calculated.  And  we  may  here  observe,  that 
the  same  method  is  evidently  applicable  to  masonry  calculations,  with  even 
greater  facility,  as  structures  of  masonry  are  usually  composed  of  symmet- 
rical solids.  V 

The  remarkable  property  of  the  prismoid,  above  alluded  to,  was  estab- 
lished in  connection  with  prisms,  pyramids,  wedges  and  frustra  of  pyra- 
mids, by  a  sinple  inverse  algebraic  process,  displaying  the  relation  between 
the  common  rules,  laid  down  by  the  writers  on  mensuration,  and  the  pris- 
moidal  formula.  But  this  formula,  admits  of  a  direct  demonstration  by  the 
aid  of  the  integral  calculus,  and  of  a  more  connected  proof  that  it  is  the 
fundamental  rule  for  the  solidity  of  all  right  lined  solids  terminating  ia 
parallel  planes. 

As  the  paper  on  mensuration,  before  alluded  to,  relies  upon  the  establish- 
ment of  this  property,  it  has  occurred  to  the  writer  that  it  might  be  agreea- 
ble to  some  of  the  readers  of  this  work,  to  have  a  direct  developement  of 
the  principles,  which  that  essay  reduces  to  practice  ;  and  with  this  view,  I 
propose,  first,  to  establish  the  truth  of  the  prismoidal  formula  and  then  to 
trace  up  the  dependence  upon  it,  of  the  ordinary  rule  for  the  mensuration 
of  other  solids.  _    ^     ^__^^  ..-.i.^^.-  ,  .   ...._^    ...  a>. 


326        Formula  for  Calculating  Excavation^  EmbaTikment,  etc. 
i*.A  ^f"     General  Demonstration  of  the  Prismoidal  Formula. 


Fig. 

2.  Base 

=  b. 

. .;  ;■  •  I--.,'       '.  ,    : 

■  1 

•  •■-•-  .-.J    -  , 

J}. 

ee 

Fig".  3.  Mid.  sec.  =  m; 


Fig.^  Top  =  t 


r"* 

o 

f 

3>-f  ^ 

Let  fig.  1  represent  a  prismoid  ;  fig.  2,  the  base  ;  fig.  3,  the  mid-section; 
and  fig.  4,  the  top.  All  the  dimensions  being  designated,  as  marked  upon 
the  several  figures. 

The  area  of  the  base  will  be,  (see  fig.  2,)  axb  =  ab.       r-.v  •  :V'»^c. 

The  area  of  the  mid-section  will  be,  (see  fig.  3,) 

...      (.-{)x(.-|)  =  (^)x(^) 

■  2af—2bc-{-fc 


■Ui: 


Aab 


■;.,rt^4>../^; 


Whence  four  times  the  mid-section :  =  4  a  ft  —  2  af —  2  ft  c  -{-fe. 

The  area  of  the  top  will  be,  (see  fig.  4,)  (ft — f)x{a  —  c.) 

—  ab  —  af — bc-\-fc. 

Any  transverse  section  of  this  prismoid,  parallel  to  its  base,  or  top,  will 
be  a  rectangle. 

The  lengths  of  the  sides  forming  the  rectangle  of  the  top,  are  supposed 
to  be  less  than  those  of  the  bise,  which  correspond  to  them  by  the  quanti- 
ties/and c,  respectively.  And  it  is  evident  from  inspection,  that  the  sides 
of  the  rectangular  sections,  proceeding  from  the  base  towards  the  top,  di- 
minish as  the  distance  of  the  section  from  the  base  increases. 

Let  a:,  be  the  distance  of  any  section  from  the  base,  supposing  it,  o»  course, 
to  be  parallel  to  the  base  or  top,  then  the  diminutions  in  the  sides  of  this 

rectangle,  will  be  to  the  total  diminutions  in  the  ratio  of  x  to  A,  or  as  .5.. 

A 

Therefore,  generally,  the  area  of  any  rectangular  section  of  a  prismoid,* 
at  any  distance,  x  from  the  base,  will  be 


■- ■-■^•*"«)i'  '  -i«,  •'    >  ;-^ 


t. 


Formula  for  Calculating  Excavation,  Embankment f  etc.        327 

^                         ,.           /a&A'^ — bchx  —  afhx-\-fc^\  »•««-'' 

•Whence  expanding  =  ( -j^ — J  =area  section. 

Wherefore  the  element  of  solidity,  or  differential  of  the  solid,  V^j  )*  ,, 

/abh?  —  bchx  —  afh x-\-fc  7?\  ■  -'v.«  ...^^ 


"""^^               ,          abh^dx      bchxdx      afhxdx  .fen?  dx  ^:j^ 

..^,         Whence —^^ _______+_^. 

The  integral  of  which  will  represent  the  capacity  of  any  frustrum  of  a 
prismoid,  whose  length  =  x. 

/abh'^dx      fbchxdx       Pafhxdx       Pfc:?^      <>y!:^. 

•     abh^x        bchx'       afhx^     fcx^  ...„■-   V 


-_/^■Jl  ;i«'-. '  it   '  --:.'. 


In  point  of  fact,  this  integration  produces  a  constant  quantity,  C,  but  as 
this  =  O,  when  we  estimate  the  capacity  of  the  solid,  from  the  base,  as  wo  . 
propose  to  do.  we  may  neglect  it. 

Reducing  to  a  common  denominator,  we  have,     ;:     i    .^  '  ,.  >  ^  .  ^ 

-    y     .  Gabh^x      3  bchx'      Safha^      2fcx^         X/I^n;       . 

6A'^  6A*  6^^      "^     6A* 

which  is  the  general  expression  for  the  solidity  of  any  frustrum  of  a  pris- 
moid, whose  length  measured  from  the  base  =  x.     Now  to  transform  this 
expression,  so  as  to  apply  to  a  whole  prismoid,  we  must  suppose  x  =  A,  and  < 
let  5  =  solidity :  -  ■• 

Then  substituting  h  for  x  in  the  above  expression  we  have, 
\,  Qabh^—3bch^—3  afh^  +  2fc  h^  >;|^%^ 

Or  dividing  byA'  =  (6ai  —  36c  —  3  a/+  2/c)  X  ^  =  S.         /  ^ 

Which  expression  may  be  transformed  into  the  following,  ,  i 

l{ab  —  bc  —  af-\-fc)-^{^ab  —  'ilbc  —  2af+fc)-\-{ab)\  XgA=S.(A.) 

We  will  call  this  equation  A,  and  it  is  equivalent  to 

I  (Area  of  top.)+(four  times  area  mid.  sec.)4-(area  of  base)  I  x  «  A  =  S. 

See  the  areas  of  these  sections  as  heretofore  deduced.     The  above  equation 
A,  is  in  fact,  the  general  formula.  ,  _ 

{b  ■\-  A  m  ■\- 1)  X  -^h  =  ^  at  which  we  desired  to  arrive,  and  the  truth  of 

which  is  established  by  the  foregoing  investigation. 

To  trace  up  now  the  dependence  of  the  usual  rules  for  the  capacity  of 
certain  solids,  upon  the  general  formula,  it  may  be  premised,  that  of  all 
right  lined  solids,  bounded  laterally  by  longitudinal  planes,  and  terminated 
in  two  transverse  parallel  planes,  we  distinguish  but  four  independent  sp> 

CICSj  VLB  •  • ,  'ixi^i^r'f'^  STteih'ir.'.*'  »"'f-'*»^ 


'  W«dVi«r  »  ^*f*T%     .;-♦     li- 


■-'J*''*:...,v 


328         Formula  for  Calculating  Excavation,  Embankmtntj  etc. 

1.  Prisms,  which  on  account  of  the  analogy  subsisting  between  them,  in- 
clude cylinders. 

2.  Pyramids,  which  include  cones,  because  cones,  and  pyramids  of  a 
common  altitude,  and  equal  bases,  are  equal. 

3.  Wedges. 

4.  Frustra  of  pyramids,  which  by  anklogy  include  frustra  of  conss. 

To  show  that  the  general  formula,  is  the  fundamental  rule  for  determin- 
ing the  solidity  of  these  several  solids,  and  by  a  necessary  consequence,  for 
the  mensuration  of  any  right  lined  solid  whatever,  made  up  of  any  combi- 
nation of  the  four  species,  having  a  common  altitude.     We  will  take  up,     ; 

1.  Prisms. 

These  are  in  fact,  prismoids,  of  which  the  end  sections  are  equal  and  sim- 
ilar :  and  as  all  sections  of  a  prism,  parallel  to  the  base,  must  be  also  equal 
and  similar,  therefore  the  sides  of  those  sections  do  not  diminish,  and/  and 
c,  the  diminutions  of  the  prismoid,  when  it  becomes  a  prism,  vanish,  or  be- 
come =  O. 

Substituting  then  in  equation  A,  zero  for /and  c,  we  have,  I    . 

(  \ab—{bxo)  —  {axo)-^{oxo)']  +  \ iab—{^bxo) —{2aXo\-^ 

y  ..  (oXo)j  X(ai))xgA  =  S. 

Which  is  equivalent  to  ({a  b)  -{-  {A  a  b)  -^  {a  b)\  x-^h  =  S. 
fs-f   :.  h  .r,vi^  ,  ^        Whence,  (6  a  ft)  + 1  A  =  S.  *'^    v  <  ^  v^^^. 


■XtX, 


Or,  finally,  abxh  =  S.  which  is  the  usual  rule  for  finding  the  solidity  of 
a  prism,  or  cylinder. 

2.  Pyramids 

A  pyramid  may  be  considered  as  a  prismoid,  whose  sides  diminish  by 
such  a  ratio,  that  if  the  solid  vi^ere  prolonged  from  the  small  end,  the  sides 
of  the  rectangular  sections,  would  vanish  at  the  same  moment,  or  concur 
upon  a  point,  (the  vertex  of  the  pyramid ;)  considering  the  prismoid  at  this 
instant,  it  is  evident  that  the  diminutions /and  c,  of  the  sides  of  the  base, 
become  equal  to  the  sides  themselves,  and  if  the  base  of  the  pyramid  be  any 
rectangle  ax  b,  we  must,  therefore,  in  equation  A,  substitute  a  for  c,  and  h 
for  /;  and  we  have,  v , 


((ab  —  ba  —  ab-\-ba)+{Aab  —  2ba  —  2ab  -\- b  a)-\-{a  b)\  x^A  =  S.' 
^;  ":  #U     Whence,  ((^o)  +  {ab)  +  {ab))  xU  =  8.      ^  ,:;  .  ,  r-l^ 


;    •         ;  .    — '         Or,(2aJ)xh  =  S.  ,^ 

.-"         '  '  ■  Or,  finally,  a  &  X  5  A  =  S.  '  "*^r 

'■'••-vr  u  *  V 

which  is,  in  fact,  the  commoif  rule  laid  down  in  the  books,  for  finding  the 
capacity  of  a  pyramid,  or  cone. 

3.  Wedges. 
>,.  If  we  imagine  the  sides  of  the  successive  sections  of  a  rectangular  pris- 

■  ;      ■       ■  ■-  :",  -  :,.V  .     _■■-     -■  ■■■■-:-■•-■■■)■•:-  ■ 


Formula  for  Calculating  Excavation,  JLmbankment,  etc.      ^SSH 

moid,  to  diminish  by  sucli  a  ratio,  that  if  the  solid  were  prolong^  From  the 
small  end,  they  would  not  all  vanish  at  once;  then  it  will  be  found  that 
when  one  pair  of  sides  of  the  rectangular  section  disappears,  the  other  pair 
.will  coincide,  and  become  a  right  line,  the  solid  in  point  of  fact,  will  run  to 
an  edge,  and  the  prismoid  will  be  transformed  into  a  wedge.  Let  the  base, 
or  back  of  any  wedge,  be  any  rectangle  axb,  and  suppose  in  the  prismoid 

^fig.  1,  the  side  a,  to  vanish,  then  it  will  become  a  wedge,  of  which  (A — f,) 
=  the  length  of  the  wedge  ;  a  =  breadth  or  thickness  of  the  back  ]  b  =the 
length  of  the  back.     And  as  the  side,  a,  is  supposed  to  vanish,  it  will  at  the 

-instant  of  disappearing,  become  equal  to  c,  its  diminution. 

Substitute,  therefore,  in  equation  A,  a  for  c,  and  we  have,    ..';!>rj,'s|f^.«^j.» 

.^/(a6— ai— a/+a/)  +  (4a6— 2a6— 2a/+a/)-f(a6))x5A  =  S. 

■'  .■k^^* :  -^-  - ; rM      Whence,  (3  a h—uf) X ^  A  =  S.        ;-    -V^tr .^^^ / 

■       But  (5—/)  =  "length  of  edge;"  a  =  " breadth  or  thickness  of  back  ;*• 
"and  26  =  "twice  the  length  of  the  back." 

Consequently,  this  expression  is  in  fine,  the  common  rule  laid  down,  by 
writers  on  mensuration,  for  ascertaining  the  capacity  of  wedges. 

4.  rrustrA  of  Pyramids, 

We  may  regard  these  solids  as  prismoids,  whose  sides  diminish  by  a  reg* 
i:  «Iar  proportion  to  their  own  lengths,  such,  that  if  the  solid  were  prolonged 
l,from  the  small  end,  all  the  sides  of  the  rectangular  section,  would  vanish  at 
.-.once,  and  the  solid  become  a  pyramid.  Therefore /and  c,  the  total  diminu* 
utions  in  the  sides  of  the  frustrum,  or  the  quantities  by  which  the  sides  of  the 
top  are  less  than  those  of  the  base,  must  have  the  same  ratio  as  the  sides 
..themselves.  .  .,  .^ 

?■:';,■'.;>    y      Oiff:c::b:a.  "'''''-- i.:i  :\";;-'T^"ji--'->  . 

^.feii^:^'^  Consequently,  5c  =  a/;  and /=_.  % 

•••  be  * 

^  Now  m  equation  A,  substitute^ (  for  nf,  and  —  for  f,  and  we  have,  .;\ 


-^{ab—bc  —  bc-{-  -^)+<4ai  — 26c  — 26c+*-i.)+(ft6)\x^A=a 

*'  /  2bc\      1  ^ 

t^l  iv«s  mm  tf   Whence,  ^6  a  6—6  6  c  +  ~^)  X  6  ^  ^  ^  ''^ 

4  *  ,  A  c^v    1      '•»':*;>>  .^iji.        .  i- 

Or,  l3a6— 36c+ — lx^A  =  &  M'^* 

-■••■•'-.V; 

Which  may  be  transformed  into  -.  x«::  >  l> , 

■^  ^{ab-2bc-{-^~)+{ab-bcl+{ab)jxlh  =  8.  ,^,  : 

b  c-\  . 

*      But  {arb — 2bc-\ I  is  the  area  of  the  top,  when  the  prismoid  becomes 

>  <!  /  "^  ^  .. 

.^,a  fruetrum  of  a  pyramid.     And  (a6)  =  area  of  base,  while  {ab — 64  = 


330       A,  ,v;^*«;«tV;'^iV;Ti''  "^  Canadian  Cnnal8.^^M> 

be" 


(abX{ab—2bc-\-  — )) 


the  square  root  of  the  product,  of  the  end  areas. 

Wherefore,  the  above  expression,  is  merely  the  usual  rule  for  the  capaci- 
ty  of  frustra  of  pyramids,  or  cones,  expressed  in  Algebraic  language. 

Besides  the  applications  we  have  above  given,  of  the  prismoidal  formula 
to  the  measure  of  solidity ;  it  may  be  employed  by  simply  substituting  lines 
for  surfaces,  in  the  measurement  of  the  superficies  of  triangles,  parallelo- 
grams and  trapezoids. 

For  a  triangle  may  be  regarded  as  a  rectangular  pyramid,  of  which  one 
side  of  the  base  equals  zero.  , ; 

A  parallelogram,  as  a  rectangular  prism,  without  thickness. 
>fe  And  a  trapezoid,  as  a  wedge  on  a  rectangular  back,  the  side  of  which  ia 
perpendicular  to  the  direction  of  the  edge,  or  in  fact,  the  thickness  of  the 
back  =  O. 

The  prolific  formula,  of  which  we  have  been  treating,  has  also,  some 
other  applications  in  mensuration,  such  as  to  determine  the  solidity  of  an 
Hemisphere,  a  Sphere,  a  Spheroid,  either  oblate  or  prolate,  a  Paraboloid, 
an  Hyperboloid,  and  by  a  slight  transformation,  to  calculate  the  surfaces  of 
several  bodies.  But  as  all  these  are  foreign  to  the  present  purpose,  the 
writer  does  not  propose  to  engage  in  their  discussion.  .  ^,  *• 

V      Oldtowny  Md.,  May  2bth,  1840. 

Reduction  of  Tolls. — It  will  be  seen  by  the  advertisement  of  the  super- 
intendent of  transportation  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company, 
that  the  charge  for  the  transportation  of  flour  from  Harper's  Ferry,  Frede- 
rick and  all  points  east  of  those  places,  has  been  materially  reduced.  From 
Harper's  Ferry  the  charge  will  hereafter  be  25  cents  per  barrel,  and  from 
Frederick  and  the  Monocacy,  the  rate  is  reduced  to  20  cents.  We  are  hear- 
tily glad  that  this  measure  has  been  adopted,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  Id 
due  time  it  will  prove  itself  to  be  both  wise  and  profitable. 


/.  '  •  CANADIAN    CANALS.  a'    :-r-i"      ' 

•  The  two  following  tables  contain  numerous  details  which  will  prove  in- 
teresting to  our  readers.  They  are  from  an  official  report  for  which,  among 
other  documents  we  tendered  our  thanks  to  the  Hon.  Mr,  Woodbridge.  U. 
S.  senator  from  Michigan,  in  a  late  number  of  the  Journal.  The  estimates 
are  in  '  currency'  or  four  dollars  to  the  pound.  They  amount  to  nearly  5 
millions  of  dollars  but  do  not  include  the  sums  expended  before  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  board  of  works,  about  four  millions  of  dollars,  making  the 
total  estimated  cost  nine  millions  for  88^  miles  of  canal,  59  locks  and  537 
feet  lockage.  This  is  about  $100,000  per  mile  or  more  tlian  the  cost  of 
the  Reading  railway  complete  for  a  down  trade  of  one  million  tons  per  an- 
num besides  up  freight  and  passengers  in  both  directions  'ad  libitum.' 
That  is,  the  mere  cost  of  these  canals  exceeds  that  of  the  Reading  railway 
with  a  double  track,  buildings,  engines,  cars,  wharves,  etc.,  etc.,  for  a  trade 
about  twice  that  of  the  Erie  tanal.  We  do  not  find  a  word  of  the  revenue 
of  the  works  in  operation,  the  tolls  charged  and  to  be  charged,  or  of  the 
mode  in  which  these  canals  are  to  cheapen  transportation.  The  difTerence 
m  dimensions  are  to  us  very  curious,  there  being  no  less  than  five  diflerent 


^  '-       ;     •    •^:  ;^       Canadian  Canals.      "      ■'     V  ,     331 

widths  at  bottom  and  six  at  the  surface.     The  favorite  dimensions  for  locks 

■'    are  300x45x9,  though  the  locks  of  the  Welland  canal  are  only  >50x26iX 

8^  or  in  the  ratio  of  10  to  33.     Now  the  Welland  canal  receives  the  New 

•  York  trade  as  well  as  the  Canada  trade ;  the  former  exceeds  the  latter  in 
amount ;  all  freight  in  both  directions  must  go  by  the  Welland,  while  the 
river  takes  all  the  down  freight  from  the  St.  Lawrence  canals  and  the  Ri- 
deau  competes  for  ihe  up  freight.  It  appears  therefore  to  us  that  the  ratio 
should  be  inverted,  that  is,  that  the  St.  Lawrence  canals  should  at  most  equal 
tiie  Welland  canul  in  dimensions  of  locks  with  a  smaller  channel  to  pass 

r    the  nearly  empty  boats  going  up. 

We  believe  the  toll  to  be  30  cents  per  barrel  of  pork  or  $1,40  per  ton, 
which  would  make  the  toll  alone  for  38  miles  equal  to  5  cents  per  ton  per 
mife,  a  high  price  for  the  total  cost  of  transportation  on  a  railway  doing  a 
medium  business,  ^ut  great  as  is  this  charge  and  large  the  amount  of  pro- 
duce passing  the  Welland  canal,  it  will  be  long  before  it  will  have  paid 
expenses  and  interest,  even  without  any  new  rival. 

It  will  afford  uS  great  pleasure  to  publish  any  communications  giving  a 
more  favorable  view  of  the  prospects  of  these  canals,  for,  in  addition  to  their 
obvious  disadvantages  of  immense  cost  and  northern  position,  we  confess 
that  the  communications  of  our  correspondent  on  the  "  Canals  of  Canada" 
have  not  been  without  an  influence  which  the  case  of  the  Beauharnois  ca- 
nal has  not  changed  for  the  better.  A  statement  of  the  income,  expenditure, 
rates  of  toll,  of  transportation  and  of  speed  on  these  canals  would  be  verj 
acceptable.  They  are  the  only  works  of  the  kind  in  Europe  or  America, 
and  their  success  or  failure  must  powerfully  affect  the  prosperity  of  the 
Province  in  general  as  well  as  the  cause  of  public  works  there  for  manj 
years  to  come.;^ .  ..^-.v.      ,:.    >,,    .,  ^ 

There  is  one  circumstance  to  which  much  importance  is  attached  in  tha 
report:  the  low  cost  ;?er  ce»^  of  superintendence.  This  serves  merely  to 
cloak  the  most  extravagant  expenditures  and  gross  professional  incapacity. 
Suppose  more  competent  men  with  twice  the  salary  had  executed  better 
works  for  one  half  the  sum ;  then  the  cost  per  cent  for  superintendence 

*  would  have  been  four  times  as  great  though  the  public  would  have  saved 
nearly  half  the  total  expenditure. 

A  low  rate  of  superintendence  estimated  on  the  cost  may  prove  economy 
in  management ;  it  may  also  prove  great  extravagance,  the  employment  of 
cheap  and  incompetent  engineers  or,  admitting  their  capacity,  it  shows  gen- 
erally that  the  work  executed  at  the  least  cost  per  cent  for  superintendence 
€ither  requires  less  engineering  or  has  been  more  or  less  neglected.  For 
example,  it  is  about  as  easy  to  stake  out  a  canal  10x140  as  one  4x40  like 
the  Erie  canal  though  the  difference  in  cost  i»  nearly  ten  times.  The  whole 
system  of  these  government  canals  rests,  however,  so  exclusively  on  the 
**  ad  captandum"  that  it  appears  almost  ungenerous  to  pull  away  this  last 
leg  left  theaviQstagd^  ^  , 

':'-■-  '■■■■  '  -    ■  -^^      . ."' 


332 


Canadian  Canals.      -K  ' ■ 


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^if^-j  ii'jff-  v*l:  wr»^^  Miner al&gy.Jiifsii^  M*  if«*  -r^  333 


"  All  these  canals  will  be  completed  before  the  opening  of  the  navigation 
in  the  spring  of  1846.  '  '■'S;  •;•,.;:  7 

'T  There  are  a  great  number  of  minor  works  which  swdl  the  total  estima- 
ted cost  to  £1,761,721,  exclusive  of  large  sums  expended  on  the  Welland, 
Cornwall,  Lachine,  Chambly  canals  and  perhaps  some  minor  works,  which 
in  the  aggregate  must  reach  five  millions  of  dollars.  The  total  cost  will 
therefore  be  twelve  millions  of  dollars  as  estimated,  but  if  they  are  complc' 
ted  for  fifteen  millions  the  Province  will  be  much  more  fortunate  than  the 
State  of  New  York  has  ever  been  since  the  opening  of  the  Erie  canal. 
Whether  those  works  will  soon  or  ever  be  completed  is  a  question  we  do 
not  hazard  an  opinion  on,  but  in  any  event  we  think  the  information  con- 
veyed in  the  tables  will  be  generally  acceptable  to  our  readers. 

(A  considerable  sum,  about  $260,000,  is  to  be  expended  in  deepening 
lake  St.  Peter,  between  Mantreal  and  Quebec,  but  this  will  not  affect  the 
western  trade,  for,  should  that  ever  become  very  important,  the  trans-ship- 
ment will  of  course  take  place  at  Quebec,  as  it  will  only  cost  half  as  much 
to  run  the  light  barges  with  their  heavy  cargoes  to  that  port  as  to  bring 
heavy  sea  vessels  to  Montreal  to  load  them.)  -    ...  ^^ 

■,\m^m'i':%m^^^^v\.^^^^  MINERALOGY.  -0^^^ rnm^ ^^^M- -.: 

■^  The  deep  cuttings  and  tunnels  on  the  numerous  public  works  of  the  pre- 
sent day  afford  the  fairest  opportunities  for  the  study  of  mineralogy  as  well 
as  of  geology.  By  means  of  the  latter  science  we  acquire  a  knowledge  of 
the  peculiar  earths  or  rocks  likely  to  be  encountered  in  certain  localities, 
and  mineralogy  teaches  us  the  chemical  constituents  of  these  substances. 
In  a  general  reconnoissance  of  a  country  such  as  ought  to  precede  all  in- 
strumental examinations  the  general  arrangement  of  the  strata  is  the  great 
consideration  ;  but  when  the  construction  is  to  be  commenced,  the  properties 
of  the  various  earths  to  be  removed  and  of  the  stones  to  be  used  in  building 
must  attract  the  attention  of  the  engineer.  In  these  important  investiga- 
tions he  will  be  materially  aided  by  the  very  valuable  edition  of  Phillip^ 
Mineralogy,  edited  by  Francis  Alger,  Esq.,  a  scientific  gentleman  of  Boston 
and  lately  published  in  this  city.  This  is  not  one  of  those  re-publications 
to  which  the  American  editor  contributes  only  the  sanction  (!)  of  his  name  in 
large  capitals  on  the  title  page ;  but  it  is  just  what  it  professes  to  be,  the  best 
English  elementary  treatise  on  mineralogy  with  the  latest  European  addi- 
tions to  the  science  as  well  as  the  numerous  and  very  valuable  contributions 
of  the  extensive  geological  surveys  which  do  honor  to  the  States  by  which 
they  have  been  authorized.     The  publishers  say  :  ;   ^\ 

\-  (( l>hillips's  Mineralogy  has  proved  the  most  popular  treatise  on  the  sci- 
ence ever  published  in  Great  Britain.  Prof  Brande,  of  the  Royal  Institu- 
tion, London,  thus  speaks  of  it.  '  One  of  the  most  useful  practical  works 
on  mineralogy,  and,  in  our  language  at  least,  the  most  available  for  the  use 
<tf  the  student,  is  Mr.  Allan's  edition  of  the  elementary  treatise  by  the  late 
Mr.  Wm.  Phillips.'  Its  circulation  in  this  country  has  also  been  very  ex- 
t6|isi7&     The  present  edition  comprises  three  hundred  more  pages,  and  one 


S34  Itondon  and  Birmingham  Railroad. — New  Propeller. 

hundred  more  fifj^ures  of  crystals,  and  about  one  hiindred  and  fifty  more  spe 
cies  and  important  varieties,  than  are  contained  in  Allan's   edition.     Not 
withstanding  these  additions,  the  price  of  the  book' is  considerably  Itss  thaa 
Allan's,  or  any  other  recent  treatise  on  the  subject. 

"For  the  convenienc.e  of  those  who  may  wish  to  arrange  their  cabinets 
on  a  chemical  system,  several   hundred  extra  copies  of  the  formulas  have   ' 
been  struck  off,  and  will  be  sold  at  the  cost  of  printing.     These  can  be  con- 
veniently cut  apart  and  pasted  upon  the  specimens. 

"  We  would  add,  that  this  work  has  been  approved  by  Prof.  Webster, 
and  adopted  by  him  as  a  text  book  in  Harvard  college ;  the  splendid  cabi- 
net in  that  institution,  having  recently  been  re-arranged  by  him,  in  accord-* 
ance  with  the  same  system." 

THE  LONDON  AND  BIRMINGHAM  RAILROAD, 

Is  119  miles  in  length.     It  cost  £6,002,452,  or  thirty  millions  of  dollars. 
It  is  well  managed.     The  expenses,  proportioned  to  the  receipts  are  only  • 
32  per  cent,  with  a  mixed  traffic  of  passengers  and  freight.     The  receipt 
from  the  former,  proportioned  to  the  latter  is  as  three  to  one.  ' 

^        The  receipts  for    1842     were  -  -  £809,247 

«^"-"  ^"^-^  11^1  ••"^^1843       "    --^^  ;---':-— ;;v-^-      91^522 

Six  months  1844       «     *  Z.-.m^  r':.---  405,768    > 

These  receipts  average  £813,000  per  annum  for  3  years  and  are  double  \ 
the  amount  received  per  annum  in  this  State,  for  tolls  on  all  our  canals,  of 
six  times  the  length  of  this  road.     The  original  cost  of  these  canals,  were 
not  half  the  cost — a  little  over  one  third — of  this  road  of  119  miles. 

This  road  contends  successfully  with  a  canal  (the  Junction)  that  runs  side 
by  side  with  it.     The  receipts  and  value  of  the  canal  has  fallen  off  full  50 
per  cent  while  the  railway  stock  is  £225  for  100  paid,  and  divides  regular-  . 
ly  ten  per  cent,  per  annum. 

J  The  British  government  allow  this  road  £14,700  per  annum,  or  at  the 
rate  of  $600  per  mile  per  annum,  for  her  penny  mail  which  now  nets  the 
government  $3,000,000  per  annum.  J.  E.  B. 

NEW    PROPELLER. 

'  A  friend  and  frequent  contributor  obliges  us  with  the  following  particu- 
lars of  the  mode  of  construction  and  performance  of  Aldrich's  vertical  sub- 
merged  paddle  wheel. 

"  We  were  indebted  to  the  proprietors  of  the  Atlantic  Works  for  a  pleas- 
ant excursion  down  the  bay,  on  an  experimental  trip,  in  the  Orion,  a  vessel 
of  150  feet  between  extreme  points,  140  feet  keel,  25  feet  beam  and  10  fe^ 
hold,  350  tons. 

"  Messrs.  Allaire  and  Aldrich  who  accompanied  us,  stated  that  the  form  '• 
of  the  vessel  was  not  such  as  they  would  have  desired  for  the  engine,  for  ■; 
speed,  and  they  were  limited  as  to  space,  to  make  her  an  effective  freight-  /: 
carrying  vessel.     The  owners  of  the  hull  selected  their  model,  and  if  the 
small  vertical  wheel  did  not  work,  it  was  to  be  taken  out  with  the  engine,   . 
and  the  loss  was  to  fall  on  these  enterprising  mechanics.    It  is  therefore  gral-  -' 
ifying  to  record  that  this  essay  was  perfectly  successful,  taking  into  view  the 
lact  that  everything  was  new.     The  boiler  generated  foam  faster  than  steam, 
which,  £»f^g  itself  into  the  cylinders,  caused  us  to  stop  several  timeS]  to 


blow  off  water.  This  defect  we  believe  is  common  with  new  boilers.  It 
was  difficult  to  keep  up,  from  this  cause,  30  to  40  revolutions.  To  give 
full  effect  to  the  wheels,  it  is  desirable,  and  they  can  be  made  to  revolve  from 
55  to  60  times  to  the  minute.  '     f 

"  To  give  you  some  idea  of  our  speed  and  the  distance  run,  I  would  State 
that  we  left  the  Atlantic  Works  at  11,  A.  M.,  with  Mr.  Henderson,  pilot, 
and  run  down  the  bay  and  past  the  Hook  to  '  south  the  Cedars,'  a  distance 
of  25  miles,  the  tide  favoring  us,  but  with  a  strong  wind  against  us.  On 
our  return,  we  marked  the  time  from  Fort  Hamilton  up  to  the  Dry  Dock 
wharf,  oppQsite  which  we  arrived  at  4.20  P.  M ,  making  12  miles  in  the 
hour.  The  aA'erage  of  the  above  is  ten  miles,  with  a  two  mile  current,  if 
we  take  off  45  minutes  for  stops,  to  blow'  off  the  water  in  the  cylinders,  and 
to  get  up  fires  of  anthracite  coal, 

ji)"  The  wheels  are  made  water  tight,  of  boiler  iron,  seven  feet  five  inches 
diameter,  twenty  inches  wide.  On  the  species  of  drum  are  placed  iroa 
buckets,  14  inches  deep,  thus  making  the  whole  wheel  but  9  feet  9  inches, 
to  propel  a  vessel  of  350  tons.  One  of  the  great  merits  claimed  for  this 
wheel  is,  that  it  is  placed  within  the  frame  of  the  vessel,  in  a  species  of  wa- 
ter-tight bunker,  and  is  no  impediment,  except  the  revolving  motion  of  thk 
small  wheel,  when  thrown  out  of  gear. 

"  The  whole  apparatus  is  placed  in  a  space  of  about  22  feet  square.  The 
boiler  is  18  feet  long  by  6  feet  diameter.  There  are  two  cylinders,  20  in- 
ches in  diameter,  with  a  thirty  inch  stroke,  one  on  each  side  of  the  boiler 
acting  directly  on  the  crank. 

"  it  was  the  wonder  of  all  on  board,  when  the  steam  was  once  raised  to 
42  revolutions,  to  notice  her  performance." 

The  engine  and  paddle  wheels  were  from  the  well  known  establishment 
of  Mr.  Allaire.  One  of  the  advantages  of  this  wheel  is  that  it  may  be 
made  so  as  just  to  float  without  bearing  on  the  boxes.  The  present  wheels 
bear  on  the  upper  box.  It  will  be  disiinctly  seen  that  the  friction  is  reduced 
to  a  minimum  when  working,  and,  when  sailing,  with  the  wheels  out  ol 
gear,  the  retardation  must  be  very  small — insignificant  as  compared  with 
the  ordinary  paddle  wheel  or  Ericsson's  propellers.  The  breadth  of  beam 
is  not  increased  ;  this  is  a  great  consideration  with  sea-going  vessels  as  well 
SLU  with  canal  boats,  unless  the  vertical  wheels  work  too  near  the  bottom  to 
be  applicable  to  the  latter.  .   k 

The  Allaire  works  are  very  extensive  and  are  to  be  considerably  increas- 
ed.  They  employ  above  200  men  and  do  all  the  work  connected  with  steam 
engines  and  other  heavy  machinery  within  themselves.  It  is  on  such  es- 
tablishments that  we  must  rely  for  steam  ships  to  extend  our  commerce  ia 
peace  and  to  defend  our  harbors  in  war.  It  is  of  the  want  of  such  establish- 
ments in  France  that  the  Prince  de  Joinville  complains  so  loudly  and  with- 
out which  he  very  properly  concludes,  that  rivalry  with  Englaqd  either  ia 
peace  or  in  war  is  impracticable.  A  very  slight  inspection  of  the  Allaire 
works  will  convince  any  one  of  the  expense,  skill  and  method  necessary  in 
such  concerns  and  of  the  difficulty  attending  their  establishment  in  the  first 
place.  Luckily  this  country  now  boasts  many  such,  considerably  in  ad- 
rance  of  other  nations — England  of  course  excepted — both  as  regards  skill 
and  capacity.     We  give  in  this  number  an  example  of  quick  work  in  Eng- 


336  ...  v-Vf  Great   Western  Railway  of  England.    -/,-,/ 

land,  than  which  nothing  can  better  illustrate  the  importance  in  every  point 
of  view — commercial  as  well  as  military — of  these  large  and  well  conduc- 
ted private  engineering  establishments.  >, 

GREAT    WESTERN    RAIL W' AY   OF    ENGLAND."^ 

That  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  cost  of  this  work  compared  with 
railways  in  this  country,  I  would  state  from  the  last  report,  that  119 
miles  exclusive  ot  the  Cheltenham  and  Oxford  branches,  cost  £6,705,112, 
or  $33,525,560.  The  following,  in  round  numbers,  at  $5  to  the  £1,  com- 
pose the  items  of  this  immense  expenditure.  f 

Total.  Per  mil*. 

Law  expenses  and  procuring  act  of  incorporation,  $950,000  $8,500 
Land  for  road  bed,       m^^iii''^  J  .  f  s^^  tj       3,960,000      33,560 

Engineering,  i^'  ^"i'^il^-'V#-f     '^  -     775,000        6.568 

Grading,  , ,j^ ^ .,;,^^  j.. ...  -^i,'^^  ^ry ,; ^,,,^  tr  18,835,000  159,610 
Superstructure,  <^r:,v  .-f' 4v  )mtrf>*::*V  i.--4ir//  6,600,000      47,457 

Motive  power,      -  -'        ■■^ -^if^j^'^-iL-'-  ^       3,018,750      25,682 

Incidental  and  office  expenses,  '  'i^'^' "  ''[^''r^-'^'Xr    386,810        3,276 

or  at  the  rate  of  $284,000  per  mile.        ^     '  -'l;^'  ^"'rV^'i^'  ''  V.  .; 

.^  On  this  immense  expenditure  this  road  now  pays  7  per  cent  The  com- 
pany procure  loans  at  an  extended  period  at  3|^  to  4  per  cent.  i>frp  ^(ih^« 
y.  The  capital  authorized  is,   iAy.  •  -  •  -••-..•       £3,673,603 

i   Authorized  to  borrow.  -"^"       -  -        "■" 'V  •  3,679,343 

^'  The  width  of  the  track  is  seven  feet.  The  average  velocity  with  the 
mails,  for  which  the  government  pay  $400  per  mile  per  annum,  is  35  miles 
per  hour.        :<tiVr     ^!<iit^^»^ ikii^'ivft^ '•^fffii^''^i^^  ■"¥■: 

M  On  the  London  and  Birmingham  rond  the  British  government  pay  $600 
per  mile  per  annum  for  a  less  rate  of  speed,  but  for  a  greater  service.  The 
mail  service  on  other  roads  and  branch  roads  in  England,  varies  from  $200 
to  600  per  mile  per  annum. 

The  total  receipts  for  1842,     were        w*'>;:  »<  'sf*  <t "      £669,535      ^ 
y  «t/)       u  u        |g43        u     .  fsi}>im  .J.ui(^i   707,522     '* 

6  months,  «         1844        "  -  -  369,250      '<^ 

"#  The  expenses,  proportioned  to  the  receipts,  were  39  per  cent,  in  1842 ; 
86  in  1843 ;  34  in  1844.  The  receipts  from  passengers,  proportioned  to 
receipts  from  freight  and  the  mails,  was  as  3  to  1.  The  whole  number  of 
passengers  transported  during  1843,  was  1,629,150.  The  average  number 
daily,  4500.  The  number  of  miles  travelled  in  1843  =  53,942,124. 
^  This  immense  business,  =  £740,000  per' annum,  is  more  than  double  the 
-average  tolls  received  on  all  the  canals  in  the  State  of  New  York  for  three 
years  past.  These  receipts  do  not  equal  the  average  amount  received  per 
annum  — £813,000 — for  the  last  three  years  from  the  London  and  Birming- 
ham railroad  (119  miles)  in  length.  '  An  amount,  that  shows  the  importance 
of  that  road  and  the  Western  railroad  to  the  travelling  and  trading  commu- 
nity of  Great  Britain.  The  average  speed  of  railways,  over  coaching,  is 
Jo  the  ratio  of  4  to  1,  when  stops  are  included.     The  rates  of  freight,  both 


.  .>t  .'■'^  ■  .■;  i.1. 


..."     -  .  .  A  _^    ■       .        -r  -■•.    -■  ..-;'.     pV.'       "i.^. 

.  Massachusetts  arid  Vermont  'Razlrodd. — Wooden  Railways.       337 

by  canals  and  teams  have  been  reduced,  since  the  introduction  of  railroads. 
This  great  improvement  has  enabled  the  British  government  to  introduce 
the  penny  postage  system,  with  a  nett  profit  of  $3,000,000  per  annum,  rap- 
idly increasing. 

HJp"  Will  the  government  of  the  United  States  profit  by  this  example 
and  secure  in  time,  the  right  to  use  the  several  State  incorporations,  on  equi- 
table terms,  compared  with  the  service  they  can  render  the  government  « 
-  J.  E.  B.^ 


'  Mr.  C.  Williams,  "  a  farmer  of  old  Suffield,  Mass.,"  has  published  a 
very  sensible  letter  on  the  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  railroad,  in  which 
he  draws  attention  to  the  saving  which  would  result  from  connecting  Brat- 
tleboro'  with  Boston  via  Springfield  and  the  W^estern  railroad  in  place  of 
extendinjr  the  Fitchburg  road  to  that  village.     He  says: 

"  It  may  be  well,  for  a  moment,  before  it  is  concluded  that  the  valley  road 
is  an  object  without  inducement,  and  to  be  abandoned  for  the  sake  of  a  con- 
nection with  the  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  road,  by  means  of  a  branch 
road,  to  count  the  cost  of  the  two  enterprizes,  and  the  comparative  probabil- 
ities of  their  completion.  The  Northampton  and  Springfield  road  may  be 
practically  considerrd  as  completed.  The  distance  from  Northampton  to 
Greenfield  by  railroad  line  is  18|  miles,  of  which  eleven  miles  are  straight 
over  a  sandy  plain,  where  the  deepest  cut  will  not  be  more  than  eight,  and 
the  heaviest  filling  twelve  feet.  The  rest  of  the  line  has  but  little  curvature 
and  is  very  ^asible.  The  rslimated  cost  of  the  road  with  a  T  rail  of  fifty 
eight  pounds  to  the  yard  is  $275,000,  and  the  road  can  be  completed  in  one 
season. 

f  "  The  distance  from  Greenfield  to  Brattleboro'  is  19  miles,  and  the  cost 
of  a  railroad  cannot  exceed  $20,000  per  mile,  or  about  $380,000  for  the 
whole  distance. 

•  r  "  Thus  it  appears  that  the  cost  of  connecting  Greenfield  with  Boston  by 
the  Western  railroad,  will  be  $275,000  and  of  connecting  Brattleboro' 
$655,000  ;  the  distance  from  Brattleboro'  to  Boston  by  Springfield,  being 
154  miles.  Jt*<av. 

The  cost  of  connecting  Brattleboro'  and  Greenfield  with  Boston,  by 
means  of  the  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  railroad,  will  be  according  to  the 
estimate,  by  way  of  North  field,  $1,655,303,  to  which  add  the  cost  of  a 
branch  to  Greenfield,  $222,000,  and  we  obtain  the  cost  of  uniting  these 
towns  with  Boston,  $1,877,303.  Distance  from  Brattleboro'  to  Boston  by 
the  Fitchburg  railroad,  via  Noithfield,  is  117  miles.  Outlay  necessary  to 
save  the  distance  of  37  miles  upon  a  railroad,  Avhich  may  be  run  in  less 
than  two  hours,  #1,222,303.  4: 


4-  WOODEN   RAILWAYS   FOR    IRELAND.  -  j^ 

The  late  elaborate  report  of  the  Irish  railway  commissioners  of  1838 
has  no  doubt  elicited  many  plans  for  applying  and  supporting  an  economi- 
cal system  of  intercommunication  by  railroad  in  Ireland.  Among  the  most 
deserving  of  attention  of  these  is  one  contained  in  a  letter  recently  addressed 
to  the  Irish  railway  committee  of  the  house  of  commons  by  Mr.  Bridges, 
in  which  that  gentleman  applies  himself  with  much  practical  knowledge  of 
the  subject,  to  prove  that  a  system  of  wooden  tramways,  equally  expeditious 
and  more  safe,  more  durable,  and  conisderably  more  economical  than  the 
iron  railway,  might  at  once  be  introduced  into  Ireland,  to  the  mutual  benefit 


338         =.,r„.A:,<        Wooden  Railways  for  Ireland, 


^>  ■.,i'» .;. —    ir 


of  the  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish  capitalist,  merchant  and  laborer.  In  con- 
veying  to  our  readers  a  notion  of  this  plan  we  shall  avail  ourselves  of  pot« 
lions  of  Mr.  Bridge's  letter,  and  thus  describe  its  details :  ''■•. 

"  The  rails,  or  rather  trams  of  7  to  8  inches  scantling,  are  indurated  and 
protected  against  the  ordinary  destructive  agfTicies  of  fire,  rot,  and  insex;ts, 
by  a  very  philosophical  process,  to  wit,  the  injection,  by  successive  exhaus- 
tion and  pressure,  of  two  solutions,  mineral  and  alkaline,  which,  by  decom- 
position, transmute  the  timber  into  a  new  and  incorruptible  substance.  These 
trams  are  laid  down  on  the  principle  of  the  '  double  way'  of  the  ancient 
tramroads,  which  is  also  the  modern  principle  of  the  Great  Western  rail- 
way ;  that  is  to  say,  they  are  let  into  wooden  transverse  sleepers,  and  secu- 
j;e4,  thej-.eoa  by  wedges,  forming  one  great  frame  of  longitudinal  and  cross 
sleepers,  on  the  level  surface  of  the  ground.  The  tires  of  the  wheels  are 
perfectly  flat,  and  before  and  behind  each  carriage  two  guide  wheels  (the 
Prosser  guide  wheels)  are  fi.xed  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  revolving  upon 
independent  axles  ;  a  deep  groove  in  their  circumference  embraces  the  upper 
and  inner  edge  of  the  trams,  and  the  friction  being  thus  thrown  upon  the 
oblique  axle,  the  carriages  are  guided  with  perlect  safety,  and  without  any 
perceptible  abrasion  of  the  rails.  The  friction  and  oscillation,  and  general 
•wear  and  tear  involved  in  the  use  of  the  conical  tire  and  the  flange,  are  thus 
obviated  ;  and  the  friction  of  attrition  is  converted  into  a  friction  of  rotation. 
All  the  wheels,  moreover,  are  on  separate  axles,  so  that  in  a  curve,  the  in- 
ner and  outer  wheels  adapt  themselves  necessarily  to  each  sinuosity  ;  on  the 
present  system  of  common  axles,  the  outer  wheel  revolves  while  the  inner 
one  is  dragged  along  upon  a  curve.  Upon  a  level,  experiment  has  proved 
that  one-fourth  less  power  is  required  to  move  an  equal  weight  upon  a  rail- 
way of  this  construction  than  spon  the  flanged  wheel  carriage  of  an  iron 
rail ;  at  the  same  time,  the  bite  of  the  wood  affords  a  greater  power  of  as- 
cending gradients,  and  the  bevel  wheels  give  the  facility  of  traversing  the 
sharpest  curves.  A  machine  of  seven  tons  can  thus  mount  and  descend 
gradients  of  less  than  1  in  20,  and  traverse  curves  of  500  feet  radius  at  the 
rate  of  25  miles  an  hour.  On  the  one  hand,  the  durability  is  attested  by 
the  fact  that  wood  properly  prepared  has  recovered  the  deflexion  occasioned 
by  the  pressure  of  140  tons  upon  a  segment  of  an  iron  wheel  three  inches 
in  the  tire,  and  that  an  experimental  traffic  equivalent  to  seven  years  of  an 
ordinary  line  did  not  obliterate  the  sawmarks  upon  the  wooden  trams,  which 
on  the  contrary  actually  polished  the  bevelled  surface  of  the  guide  wheels. 
While  the  guide  wheel  is  equally  applicable  to  the  ordinary  iron  railway,  a 
peculiar  advantage,  besides  that  of  primary  economy,  in  the  use  of  the  pre- 
pared longitudinal  beams,  is  to  be  found  in  the  action  of  the  deliquescent  salts 
which  entre  into  their  preservative  composition,  and  which  effectually  pre- 
vent slipperiness  from  frost,  and  from  the  opposite  extreme  of  intense  sum- 
mer heat.  *  '/^ 

"  The  superiority  of  longitudinal  sleepers  over  stone  blocks  and  chairs,  is 
demonstrated  by  the  successful  experiment  of  the  Great  Western  railway  ; 
and  the  rationale  of  such  a  mode,  and  its  peculiar  adaptation  to  the  circum- 
stances of  Ireland,  in  spite  of  the  abundant  stone  of  that  country,  are  well 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Vignoles,  in  the  appendix  to  the  Irish  railway  report,  (ap- 
pendix A,  No.  1.)  The  rigidity  and  the  vis  inertia  of  stone  supports,  in- 
deed, may  be  held  to  be  one  among  the  many  causes  in  operation  which  in- 
duce such  a  fearfully  rapid  wear  and  tear  upon  some  of  the  existing  railways. 

"  The  comparative  saving  in  the  mere  supentructure  of  wooden  and  iron 
railways  may  be  thus  tabularly  exhibited : 


Wooden  Railways  for  Ireland.-*- ^^     \  »• 


'••""^'  '-'     Wooden  Rail.    ■  -^    *-- ' 

'  8280  cubic  feet,  2s.  per  ft.,  528     0 

Paynizing^,  62     8 

Wedges,  labor  and  carriage,  300     0 

*  Contingencies,  240     0 

3520  sleepers,  at  3s.  6i.,  616    0 


£1746    8 


—^  Iron  Rail.      'M/cyvJ 

With  rails  60  lbs.  to  the  yard     ."-=  ''^  7 
it  will  cost  for  rails,  chairs, 
bolts,  etc.,  2400    0 

Labor  and  carriage,       «•  ■ '  ■^*    300     0 
Contingencies,  240    0 

3520  sleepers,  at  3s.  6d.  616     0 


£3556    0 

Balance  in  favor  of  wood  in  «upersuructure  alone,  £1809  12s. 

"  Besides  this,  there  will  be  at  least  one-fourth  less  cutting,  and  a  contin- 
uous saving  in  wear  and  tear  of  machinery,  carriages,  etc.,  which  may  be 
two-thirds  less  in  weight,  with  equal  tractive  power.  But  the  immense  sa-  ' 
Tins  in  construction,  in  superstructure,  earthworks,  embankments,  masonry  ; 
and  purchase  of  land,  is  even  of  less  importance  than  the  immense  moral 
and  social  advantage  which  the  system  involves,  of  connecting  towns  and 
villages  in  all  directions,  which  the  present  mode  altogether  excludes  from 
the  benefits  of  more  rapid  intercommunication.  On  the  present  system,  a 
saving  in  the  expense  of  embankments,  necessarily  involves  an  additional 
cost  of  working.  A  better  illustration  of  this  cannot  be  found  than  in  a 
comparison  of  the  two  surveys  of  Sir  John  Macneill,  in  his  valuable  report 
on  the  North  Irish  line  (report,  appendix.  No.  4.)  There  are  scarcely  any 
gradients  or  curves  in  the  Irish  railway  report,  which  need  be  avoided  by 
the  guide  wheel  system  of  wooden  railways.  By  such  a  system,  a  line 
from  Shrewsbury  through  Wah'S,  to  Port  Dynllaen,  even  more  direct  than 
that  suggested  by  the  commissioners,  might,  in  the  first  place,  be  thus  con- 
structed for  less  than  one  million  sterling,  bringing  Dublin  within  12  hours 
of  London  ;  and  thereafter  the  Irish  metropolis  might  be  brought  into  rapid 
comjnunication  with  every  town  in  Ireland,  at  an  average  cost  of  £4000,  oi 
£5000  i^er  mile. 

"  To  sum  up  the  benefits  to  be  anticipated  from  the  adoption  of  the  new 
system.  >.,,>.  -.    v 

"  First,  as  regards  the  details  of  expenditure:         u^'S'^ 

'  "  Tunnels,  deep  cuttings,  embankments,  and  bridges  will,  in  most  cases, 
be  entirely  obviated,  seeing  that  gradients  of  1  in  20,  and  curves  of  500  ft. 
radius,  may  be  readily  surmounted  at  a  speed  of  25  or  30  miles  per  hour: 
the  purchase  of  land  is  reduced  in  amount ;  the  material  is  greatly  cheaper 
than  iron  :  engines  and  carriages  may  be  reduced  to  one-third  of  the  usual 
weight,  with  greater  tractive  power ;  the  annual  wear  and  tear  is  also  re- 
duced, and  as  the  rails  are  laid  down  on  the  existing  face  of  the  country,  no 
disfigurement  of  the  ground  is  necessary  upon  private  estates,  which  are  or*, 
dinarily  deteriorated  to  an  extent  for  which  no  amount  of  compensation  can 
be  an  adequate  equivalent ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  as  a  necessary  conse- 
quence, the  crossings  from  one  part  of  an  estate  to  another  may  be  main- 
tained in  every  direction.  It  is  to  be  noted  particularly  that  the  system  in- 
volves no  central  rail,  or  indeed  any  complexity  to  preclude  its  adoption  on 
existing  iron  railways. 

"Second,  as  regards  the  public  interest:  -  '  ''^ 

"  Safety  is  insured  by  the  use  of  the  guide-wheels,  which,  being  adapted 
to  the  upper  and  inner  edge  of  the  rail,  and  attached  at  an  angle  of  45  de- 
grees, preclude  the  possibility  of  an  overturn,  while,  by  their  peculiar  con- 
struction, scarcely  coming  into  play  except  when  a  great  centrifugal  infliy^,.. 
ence  arises,  there  is  no  calculable  amount  of  abrasive  action  on  the  tram. 

"  Cheapness  of  transit  to  all  classes,  is  of  course  induced  by  the  redaoi*^ 


340    .'  •  Harrisburg  and  Lancasltr  Railroad. 

tion  of  primary  expenditure;  and  ease  and  comfort  are  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree secured  by  the  avoidance  of  those  causes  of  oscillation  which  are  in- 
volved in  the  use  of  the  conical  tire  on  the  iron  system. 

[We  do  not  pledge  ourselves  to  the  absolute  correctness  of  the  statistics 
of  the  above  plan,  but  we  thought  the  subject  of  so  interesting  a  nature  as 
to  warrant  us  in  laying  it  before  our  readers.] 

"  An  experiment  to  test  the  adaptation  of  the  guide-wheels  to  iron  rail- 
ways has  just  been  made  upon  the  Hayle  line,  and  has  completely  succeed- 
ed. The  groove  of  the  guide-wheels  was  reduced  so  as  to  pass  over  the 
chairs  in  which  the  iron  rails  are  fixed.  A  loaded  truck  fined  with  guide- 
wheels,  and  divested  of  the  flanges  on  the  bearing  wheels,  was  propelled 
with  a  fourth  less  power  than  one  equally  laden,  but  with  the  commoa 
flteit)g6-wheels  ;  proving  that  an  engine  can  take  a  train  of  carriages  fitted 
with  the  Prosser  wheels  one-fourth  heavier  than  with  the  flange-wheels  now 
in  use.  Moreover,  the  oscillation,  when  going  at  full  speed,  was  found  to 
be  almost  insensible.  This  will  produce  a  corresponding  saving  in  the 
wear  and  tear  of  carriage  s  and  engines,  as  well  as  add  greatly  to  the  dura- 
tion of  tlie  rails;  and  the  adoption  of  the  guide-wheels  to  existing  or  pro- 
jected iion  railways  is  worth  the  attention  of  those  engineers  who  are  un- 
willing to  adopt  the  wooden  rail  till  it  has  been  ftilly  tested  by  practice  on 
the  lines  that  have  determined  to  make  use  of  it." — jEnglish  paper. 

V.i\?i    -        •  ■>       ■'         HARRISBURG    AND    LANCASTER    RAILROAD. 

We  have  the  report  of  this  company  dated  September  6,  1844,  giving  a 
detailed  account  of  the  state  of  their  aflairs.  We  extract  the  following  state- 
ment of  the  business  and  cost  of  working  the  road.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
repairs  of  the  track  laid  with  the  heavy  rail  were  only  $6838  per  mile,  an 
amount  unprecedentedly  low,  but  of  which  no  explanation  is  given. 

"  The  whole  revenue  of  the  fiscal  year  is  as  follows : 
From  passengers,  -  -  -  $53,C39  40 

"     freight,  -  -  .,r|,iV.,7^.-.  H>  >-         18,067  17  T  - 

"     mails,         ...,   ,    ,    -     i     •  •  -  MOO  00 

«     rents,  -        '  ^-   '       .-^^  ,,     -  .  170  12 

"     sale  of  old  materials,...' 1. ..,:•,-..  ;  -       123  01— $78,891  35 

"  The  expenses  proper  of  the  road  and  company  may  be  condensed  from 
the  statements  of  the  treasurer  and  superintendent,  as  follows,  viz: 

1.  Maintenance  of  way  and  expenses  of  real  estate  and  fixtures,  $8,094  47 

2.  Locomotive  power,  .....    15,165  88 

3.  Cars, 3,562  43 

4.  Carrying  mails  to  post  offices,  removing  snow  from  track, 
damages  for  killing  cattle,  ....  579  28 

5.  Insurance,  taxes,  attorneys'  fees  and  legal  expenses,  465  48 

6.  Salaries  of  superintendent,  clerk,  collectors  and  conductors,       2,721  58 

7.  Salaries  of  president  and  secretary,  and  travelling  expenses 

of  board  and  officers,  -  -  -  -  -    2,163  24 

8.  Office  rent,  office  expenses,  postages,      -  -  -  406  07 
0.  Printing,  stationery,  engraving  bonds  and  sundries,               -         369  54 

$33^527  96 

"  The  interest  upon  the  company's  debts,  if  they  were  all  funded,  would 
be  per  annum,  -  -  -  -  -  $35,200  00 

"The  miles  travelled  by  passengers  are  1.445,316,  being  equivalent  to 
40,147  through  passengers. 


'  i' 


*j.  .i.   A«ih.if.TA 


-2 
Pi 


Harrxshirg  and  Inincaster  Railroad.  341 

f      The  revenue  from  passengers  is  $53,639  40,  equal  to  $1-34  on  an  av- 
erage for  each  through  passenger,  or  3  jVi,-  cents  per  mile. 

"  The  number  of  passenger  and  baggage  carried  over  the  road,  (reduced 
to  four  wheeled  cars)  is  5820,  equal  to  209,520  miles,  and  the  average  num-  . 
ber  of  passengers  to  four  wheels,  is  6  79, 

The  whole  eastward  freight  in  lbs.,  is     -  .,-  ^j^.,.  ,.r,:j..,       23.219,021 

The  whole  westward  freight  in  lbs.,  is    ,  .^  -    ,  /^^^'   ,gr,,;',«t,      15^,268,944 

*     Total  eastward  and  westward,  ^*K^  >ryi.»^a  ■  :>b'^i^'       35,487,965 

The  eastward  tolls  amounted  to^ir  7j»tjrJbi#i>*  ^o« :?;"i*^t^^^  $9,944  79 

The  westward  tolls  amounted  to,  -    5^  rt-..(ft^^  f<  -i^.H-         8,122  38 

Total  eastward  and  westward,       -  ^'*w  ^  r^^'t*     *1S,067  17 

The  number  of  freight  cars  clear^,  is  ■"  ''-  .fisii ■*! -'  !■  „'        9,003 
The  miles  run  by  freight  car's  are,         -  >"     -lifiitli     259,291 

The  equivalent  number  of  through  cars,    '•'*''  r    '  •    '  *••      7,203 
The  average  load  per  car  in  lbs.,  -  -  ».  .      ,    3,942 

The  average  receipt  per  car  in  dollars,      ^iai^ii^  ''»fe  .?»n*{>'  IMS  ^g  -oi 
The  average  receipt  for  each  through  car,         -  -  2  51 

_  The  average  receipt  for  each  mile  run  by  freight  cars  6 1^  cents. 
"  The  maintenance  of  way  and  expenses  of  real  estate  and  fixtures  have 
cost  11  iVu"  cents  for  each  mile  run  by  locomotive  engines. 

"  The  locomotive  power,  which  includes  repairs  of  engines  and  tenders ; 
fuel  for  locomotives  and  machine  shops  ;  oil,  cotton  waste  and  rags  ;  wages 
of  enginemen  and  firemen ;  wages  of  laborers  engaged  in  pumping  water 
for  engines,  tending  switches,  sawing  wood,  watching  bridges  and  depots, 
amounts  to  20,Vi;  cents  per  mile,  run  by  locomotives. 

"  The  whole  expenses  proper  of  the  road  and  company,  amount  to  46 1^^*, 
cents  per  mile  run  by  locomotives,  almost  exactly  the  same  as  last  year. 

"  The  expenses  of  the  passenger  and  baggage  cars  have  been  unusually 
heavy  ;  the  stock  having  been  greatly  improved  in  condition  during  the  past 
year.  The  distance  run  by  our  cars  has  been  increased  50  per  cent,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  arrangements  with  the  Eagle  line ;  it  is  equal  to  313,500 
miles  run  by  4  wheeled  cars.  This  item,  exclusive  of  oil,  which  is  found 
by  the  Eagle  line,  costs  1  ,\^a  cents  for  each  mile  run  by  4  wheels. 
... .  "  The  greatest  distance  run  by  one  engine,  is  by  the  Charles  B. 
't*enrose,  being  in  miles,  .  -  .  .  .         19,836 

The  least  distance  is  by  the  Flying  Dutchman,      -  -  -    2,664 

The  whole  distance  run  by  all  the  engines,      ...         72,432 

"  This  is  divided  as  follows,  viz :  v.,,-^i... 

Engines  without  cars,  -         ■'•'■         *;•    ^     -  .  1,080 

Passenger  trains  exclusively,  -  -  •  -  33.696 

Freight  trains  exclusively,        -  -  r^y^M:^:m^       18,192 

Mixed  trains,  carrying  freight  and  passengers,^       -  '  .       .*  •   /^^       18,864 
Trains  carrying  road  materials,  -  ^.^"y^  .  ,^^,|,  :^  d  *..  600 

y       Total,  -    .        -  -  .       '     ."  -  72,432 

.  "  The  average  cost  per  mile  of  the  repairs  of  18  miles  of  iron  track,  be- 
tween Dillerville  and  Elizabethtown,  including  roadway,  bridges,  and  su- 
perstructure, labor  and  materials,  is  -  -  -  $68  38 
"  The  average  cost  per  mile  of  the  repairs  of  18  miles  of  flat  bar  track, 
between  Elizabethtown  and  Harrisburg,  including  roadway,  bridges  and 
superstructure,  labor  and  materials,  is  -  -  -  $356  24 
-  "  It  appears  from  this  that  the  repairs  of  the  plate  rail  track  cost  per 
mile  more  than  five  times  as  much  as  those  of  the  track  laid  with  the  H 


*  -•  *.»j:i  -.. 


342 


:-r'   Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 


rail ;  without  taking  into  consideration  the  wear  and  tear  of  engines  and 
cars,  the  loss  of  time  and  the  reduced  loads  which  can  be  transported  over 
the  former.  These  items  amount  in  the  aggregate  to  vastly  more  than  the 
interest  on  the  cost  of  a  good  track  on  the  remaining  half  of  the  road.  The 
board  look  forward  confldently  to  the  early  construction  of  this  important 
improvement,  which  will  enable  the  company  to  increase  their  freight  busi- 
ness very  materially,  and  will  add  greatly  to  the  comfort  and  convenience 
of  travellers.  We  do  not  now  press  its  consideration,  because  we  deem  all 
matters  of  minor  importance  to  the  great  measures  which  we  have  so  much 
at  heart,  and  which  we  again  earnestly  urge  upon  the  stockholders,  viz.  the 
funding  or  redemption  of  the  floating  debt,  and  the  cancellation  of  the  as- 
signment. When  these  obstacles  are  removed,  the  construction  of  a  new 
track  between  Elizabethtown  and  Harrisblirg  will  be  of  easy  accomplish- 
ment, and  will  follow  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Edwakd  Miller,  President. 

L.  We  give  also,  the  statement  of  the  numerous  items  included  in  the  ex- 
penses of  the  year  as  per  account  of  the  superintendent. 

1.  Repairs  of  18  miles  of  track,  between  Dillerville  and  Eliz- 
abethtown,^ including  roadway,  bridges  and  superstructure, 
labor  and  materials,     - '  - 

2.  Repairs  of  18  miles  wooden  track,  between  Elizabethtown 
and  Harrisburg,  including  above  items, 

3.  Repairs  and  improvements  of  depots,  machine  shops,  ware 
houses,  water  stations  and  weigh  scales, 

4.  Repairs  of  locomotive  engines  and  tenders, 

5.  Repairs  of  passenger  and  baggage  cars, 

6.  Wood — fuel  for  locomotives,         -  .  .  - 

7.  Coal — fuel  for  stationary  engine  and  machine  shops,  - 

8.  Oil,  cotton  wasvfe  and  rags,  .... 

9.  Wages  of  engiaemcn  and  firemen,     .  -  - 

10.  Wages  of  laborers  engaged  in  pumping  water,  tending 
switches,  sawing  wood,  and  watchmen, 

11.  Carrying  mails  to  post  offices,  ... 

12.  Removing  snow  from  track,       -    .         - 

13.  Insurance  on  Harrisburg  property, 

14.  Attorney's  fees  and  legal  expenses, 
16.  Printing  and  stationery,        -  .  .  - 

16.  Salary  of  superintendent,  ... 

17.  D.  Lapsley,  trustee,  hire  of  engines  and  cars, 

18.  Old  debts — incurred  prior  to  assignment, 

19.  Damages  for  killing  cattle, 

20.  Taxes,  ..... 

21.  Salaries  of  collectors,  conductors  and  clerk,  • 

22.  Sundries,  .  .  .  .  - 

23.  Balance  of  check  rolls  of  prior  year, 

Total  disbursements,  etc. 
Corresponding  with  trustees'  statement. 

BALTIMORE  AND   OHIO   RAILROAD. 

We  have  the  eighteenth  annual  report  of  this  company.  It  commences 
with  the  affairs  of  the  "  main  stem,"  then  follows  the  Branch  to  Washmg- 
tOD,  and  thirdly  it  discusses  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in  carrying  the 


^; 

$1,230  80 

6,412  33 

451  34 

5,276  56 

3,562  42 

2,874  23 

399  96 

913  11 

3,286  26 

2,415  77 

490  03 

61  70 

93  76 

131  98 

>   00  86 

900  00 

1,800  00 

157  63 

-   27  56 

239  76 

1,821  58 

17  12 

.  555  06 

$33,209  77 

Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  * 

road  to  the  Ohio  river.  It  is  accompanied  by  important  tables  and  in  aa 
appendix  are  given  the  answers  of  the  company  to  questions  put  by  the  le- 
gislature as  to  the  lowest  rates  of  transportation  during  th>e  last  winter,  and 
which  were  published  at  that  time  in  the  Journal. 

The  two  first  parts  will  be  given  entire  or  nearly  so  in  our  next  number 
as  no  remarks  of  ours  could  do  justice  to  them,  but  as  the  continuation  of 
the  line  to  the  Ohio  necessarily  involves  much  local  detail  of  routes  of  little 
interest  to  the  profession  generally,  we  give  a  few  extracts.  ■<,.>■ 

"  The  board  have  to  regret  that  the  obstacles  which,  since  1842,  have  re- 
tarded the  further  extension  of  the  railroad  continue  to  operate  ;  and  have 
prevented  any  efficient  progress  in  the  actual  prosecution  of  the  w'brk,  be- 
yond Cumberland,  towards  the  Ohio  river. 

"  The  board  continue  to  regard  the  extension  of  the  road  to  that  point,  as 
•the  paramount  object  not  only  of  their  duty,  but  of  the  authorities  of  the 
State  and  city,  and  of  those  public  spirited  individuals  by  whom  the  enter* 
prize  was  originally  projected,  and  has  been  subsequently  fostered.  They 
cannot  doubt  that  it  will  be  so  regarded  by  all  who  desire  the  ultimate  pros- 
perity of  the  city  of  Baltimore;  the  welfare  of  the  State  at  large,  or  the  pre- 
servation of  the  large  amount  of  capital  which  has  already  been  expended 

Although  upon  a  just  interpretation  of  the  various  acts  constituting  the 
Maryland  charter,  the  right  of  the  company  to  extend  the  road  within  this 
State,  may  still  exist ;  and  although  it  is  quite  feasable  to  extend  it  to  the 
Ohio  river,  without  using  any  more  of  the  territory  of  this  State,  the  exten- 
sion could  not  be  made  without  further  permission  from  the  Slate  of  Vir- 
ginia, or  that  of  Pennsylvania  ;  and,  even  in  Maryland  some  additional 
modifications  of  the  charter  might  be  desirable. 

The  original  charter  by  Pennsylvania^  as  early  as  1828,  required  as  a' 
condition  of  the  grant,  in  case  the  railroad  should  not  terminate  on  the  Ohio 
river  in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburg,  that  the  company  should,  at  the  same 
time,  construct  a  lateral  road  so  as  to  connect  that  city  with  the  main  line. 
The  time  allowed  by  this  act  expired  in  the  year  1838,  and  although  in  the 
year  1839  the  legislature  renewed  the  grant,  it  did  so  upon  new  conditions 
m  favor  of  the  Pennsylvania  trade,  which,  after  full  investigation,  it  was 
deemed  inexpedient  to  accept.  Nor  is  it  probable  that  these  restrictions  will 
be  relaxed,  unless  the  company  would  consent  to  abandon  any  other  point 
on  the  Ohio  river,  and  to  terminate  the  road  at  the  city  of  Pittsburg ;  or  at 
Brownsville  on  the  Monongahela  river. 

The  charter  by  the  State  of  Virginia,  passed  in  1827,  granted,  within 
that  State,  most  of  the  privileges  conferred  by  the  Maryland  law  ;  and  al- 
lowed the  road  to  strike  the  Ohio  river  at  any  point  not  lower  than  the  Lit- 
tle Kenhawa :  but,  in  a  subsequent  act,  passed  in  April  1838,  renewing  the 
grant  for  a  longer  period,  the  company  was  required  to  construct  the  rail- 
road to  the  city  of  Wheeling.  This  law  also  authorized  a  subscription  by 
the  State  of  Virginia  to  the  stock  of  the  company  of  one  million  of  dollars 
and  a  like  sum  by  the  city  of  Wheeling. 

"  Until  recently,  the  construction  of  the  road  from  Cumberland  to  Wheel- 
ing, without  using  part  of  the  territory  of  Pennsylvania,  was  deemed,  by 
those  supposed  to  be  best  acquainted  with  the  subject,  altogether  impractica- 
ble ;  and  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  conclude  that  this  impression,  after  the  act 
of  Virginia  of  1838,  limiting  the  termination  of  the  road  to  Wheeling,  had 
a  material  influence  in  imposing  the  onerous  conditions  of  the  Pennsylvania 
law,  passed  in  the  following  year. 


^'^^m(^. 


344  ■       "Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

■  "  The  act  of  the  State  of  Virginia  of  April  1838,  also  contained  a  limi- 
tation in  point  of  time,  and  contemplated  the  completion  of  the  road  on  or 
before  the  4th  of  July  1843. 

"  The  stockholders  are  already  acquainted  with  the  obstacles  arising  6ut 
of  the  condition  of  the  money  concerns  of  the  country,  and  the  consequent 
derangement  in  business  of  all  kinds,  which  rendered  it  absolutely  impossi- 
ble to  finish  the  road,  at  least  without  numerous  sacrifices,  within  the  period 
mentioned  in  the  Virginia  law. 

"  It  has  therefore  become  necessary,  prior  to  any  resumption  of  the  work, 
to  obtain  from  the  State  of  Virginia  some  further  time,  within  which  the 
board  may  be  enabled  to  use  the  privileges  granted  by  the  charter  of  1827. 
■li;."  Under  those  circumstances,  the  board  directed  their  attention  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  more  southern  termination  of  the  road,  than  that  contemplated 
by  the  Virginia  act  of  1838. 

"Accordingly,  in  the  summer  of  1843,  they  directed  a  particular  recon- 
noisance,  by  the  chief  engineer,  of  the  country  between  the  Potomac  and 
Ohio  rivers,  at  various  points  upon  the  latter  between  Wheeling  and  Par- 
kersburg,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  facilities  of  extending  the  railroad  through 
Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  through  Virginia  alone,  without  touching 
Pennsylvania :  and  also  to  ascertain  the  most  practicable  and  advantageous 
connections  with  the  trade  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  and,  through  it,  of  the  Wes- 
tern States  in  general. 

"  The  general  result  of  the  reconnoisance  has  satisfactorily  shown  the 
practicability  of  constructing  the  railroad  through  the  States  of  Maryland 
and  Virginia,  without  passing  into  Pennsylvania,  or  through  the  State  of 
Virginia  alone,  (avoiding  both  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,)  by  various  ad- 
vantageous routes  from  several  points  on  the  Potomac  at  and  west  of  the 
Both  Branch,  to  sundry  points  upon  the  Ohio  river,  between  Wheeling  and 
the  mouth  ot  the  Little  Kenhawa. 

s  "  All  the  routes  embraced  by  this  reconnoisance,  through  Maryland  and 
Virginia  have  three  principal  terminating  points  upon  the  Ohio  river,  name- 
ly :  the  mouth  of  Fishing  creek,  the  mouth  of  Middle  Island  creek,  and  the 
mouth  of  Little  Kenhawa  at  Parkersburg. 

"  By  extending  the  road  along  the  Ohio  river,  any  other  intermediate 
point  within  the  above  range,  such  as  Sisterville  &nd  Marietta^  might,  if  de- 
sirable, be  made  the  terminus. 

"  These  routes  might  commence  either  at  Cumberland,  or  at  the  crossing 
of  the  north  branch  of  the  Potomac,  six  miles  below."      •         •         • 

"  It  has  been  observed  that  the  chief  object  of  the  introduction  of  railways 
vi?as  the  transit  of  merchandize  :  and,  although  in  the  course  of  their  ope- 
rations it  has  become  apparent  that  passenger  travelling  will  be  the  business 
of  greatest  value,  the  original  design  has  lost  none  of  its  positive  importance. 
On  the  contrary,  the  successful  application  of  locomotive  power,  to  the  trans- 
"portation  of  merchandize  and  heavy  burthen,  has  satisfactorily  shown  the 
adaptation  of  proper  lines  of  railways  to  all  the  purposes  of  commerce. 
Recent  improvements  in  the  construction  of  the  ways  ;  in  the  locomotive 
power  and  in  the  cars  and  other  machinery  ;  greater  economy  in  the  cost 
of  transportation,  added  to  the  steadiness  and  uniformity  of  their  operations 
in  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  to  the  increased  velocity  easily  maintained 
without  injury  to  the  way,  have  satisfactorily  shown,  both  in  the  United 
States  and  in  JEurope,  that  railways,  particularly  those  of  great  length,  may 
be  profitably  employed  as  thoroughfares  both  for  passengers  and  burthen. 
On  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  they  are  universally  used  for  both  purposes, 
and  are  to  a  great  extent  becoming  preferred  Hues  of  communication. 


.'^.^ 


;  r    ?  :'  Boston  and  its  Railroads.  i;'  ;iC       345 

;i"  Within  the  last  twelve  years  little  if  any  capital  has  been  employed  in 
the  construction  of  canals,  either  in  this  country  or  in  Europe,  except  per- 
haps, where  necessary  to  avoid  obstructions  in  navigating  rivers,  or  to  unite 
navigable  waters  for  the  purposes  of  a  continuous  navigation ;  while  during 
the  last  twenty  years,  in  constructing  and  perfecting  a  system  of  railways, 
an  expenditure  has  been  incurred,  equal  to,  if  not  exceeding  the  cost  of  all 
the  canals  existing  in  both  countries. 

'  "  In  England,  railways  have  been  long  in  use,  in  connection  with  the  most 
extensive  collieries  ;  and  as  a  part  of  the  works  of  the  Delaware  and  Hud- 
son coal  company  in  iNew  York,  a  railway  is  employed  with  decided  ad- 
vantage for  the  transportation  of  their  heavy  burthen."       > 

We  are  sorry  to  be  able  to  show  the  board  in  error  in  one  of  their  posi- 
tions :  "  within  the  last  twelve  years"  the  State  of  New  York  has  spent  30 
millions  on  canals  and,  adding  the  sums  spent  in  that  time  in  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia  and  Canada  on  canals  also,  we 
shall  have  a  total  expenditure  of  fifty  millions,  worse  than  thrown  into  the 
Atlantic — spent  on  monuments  of  folly  and  corruption.  This  large  sum 
has  been  laid  out  in  the  most  efficient  way  conceivable  to  prevent  the  under- 
taking of  other  works — it  is  in  fact  an  anti-improvement  fund  of  the  most 
formidable  character.  To  it  we  are  indebted  for  the  wretched  restrictions 
imposed  on  the  people  of  this  State,  who  are  not  only  subject  to  a  direct  tax 
of  $700,000  per  annum  to  support  the  canals  and  meet  their  liabilities,  but 
are  also  debarred  from  the  use  of  railways  for  the  transportation  of  freight. 
vFor  the  pitiful  act  of  last  winter  allowing  them  to  carry  freight  during  the 
I  suspension  of  navigation,  but  paying  canal  tolls,  is  little  better  than  an  in- 
sult to  the  community.  But  little  better  is  the  conduct  of  the  legislatures  of 
New  Jersey  and  Maryland  in  taxing  passengers  on  railways.  The  Balti- 
more and  Ohio  company  are  unable  to  reduce  their  rates  of  fare  between 
Baltimore  and  Washington  because  the  State  receives  20  per  cent,  of  the 
fore,  and  the  consequence  is  that  numerous  lines  of  stages  are  in  successful 
operation  and  great  numbers  of  passengers  are  induced  to  take  the  steam- 
boats of  the  Chesapeake.  Fancy  for  a  moment  a  tax  of  20  per  cent — say 
,   40  cents — on  each  passenger  travelling  on  the  Hudson  !  -^ 

For  a  long  time  the  great  difficulty  was  to  raise  the  means  for  carrying 
the  railway  to  the  westward;  now  the  obstacles  which  oppose  its  progress 
are  those  raised  by  the  legislatures  of  the  States  of  Virginia,  Pennsylvtmia 
and  Maryland.  ^' 

A  careful  perusal  of  these  reports  will  convince  most  persons,  that  all 
we  require  in  this  country,  to  secure  the  construction  of  all  really  useful 
communications  is  to  be  "  let  alone." 

BOSTON   AND   ITS   RAILROADS.  ,^ 

Who  that  has  visited  Boston  and  witnessed  the  enterprize  of  its  inhabit- 
ants, the  public  spirit  of  its  men  of  business,  and  the  rapid  increase  of  its 
public  works,  does  not  see  the  giant  strides  with  which  it  is  overhauling  its 
proud  sisters,  New  York  and  Philadelphia  ?  Though  by  no  means  the 
first  city  to  embark  in  the  construction  of  railroads  for  the  purpose  of  open- 


346 


l-iA 


Eastern  Railroad. 


'\^ 


ing  a  more  rapid  and  easy  communication  with  the  interior  and  distant  parts 
of  the  country,  yet  she  is  now  by  far  the  best  accommodated  with  these  time 
and  money-saving  machines,  of  any  city  in  the  Union.  There  are  at  this  time 
no  less  than  six  distinct  railroads,  radiating  from  Boston  into  five  different 
States  ;  and  several  of  these  roads  have  branches  to  important  manufactur- 
ing town  or  shipping  ports,  whose  centre  of  business  is  Boston.  There  is 
at  this  time  near  twelve  hundred  miles  of  connected  railroads  terminating 
in  Boston;  and  they  are  still  extending  the  main  lirtes,  and  increasing  the 
number  of  branches,  in  various  directions,  to  other  important  towns,  so  as  to 
insure  a  steady,  rapid  and  permanent  increase  of  the  business  and  therefore 
of  the  population  and  wealth  ol  Boston. 

We  were  delighted  when  attending  the  convention  of  citizens  of  Massa- 
chusetts, Vermont  and  New  Hampshire,  at  the  Tremont  Temple  in  Septem- 
ber last,  to  observe  the  spirit  of  the  Boston  capitalists  in  relation  to  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Fitchburg  railroad  northward  to  Vermont  and  Canada  ;  and 
especially  with  the  noble  liberality  of  the  president  of  that  convention,  who 
said  that  "  on  reading  the  report  of  the  Engineer"  who  surveyed  the  route 
from  Fitchburg  to  Brattleboro',  "  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  the  the  business 
men  of  Boston,  to  subscribe  ten  </iousa7i<i  dollars  towards  building  the  road." 
Who  ever  heard  a  New  York  capitalist  speak  of  promoting  public  works 
as  "  a  duty  to  the  business  men"  of  New  York  ?     Echo  answers,  Avho  ? 

The  best — the  true  spirit  pervaded  the  Boston  merchants  on  that  occasion,' 
And  fifty  men  were  appointed  to  present  subscription  papers  to  the  merchants 
and  business  men  for  their  quota  of  the  $1,000,000  to  complete  the  capital 
required  to  build  the  road  to  Brattleboro' ;  and  of  their  success  in  obtaining 
it  in  due  time  there  was  not  a  reasonable  doubt,  notwithstanding  about  $1,- 
500,000,  had  already  been  subscribed  in  Boston  since  January  last,  to  other 
railroads,  branching  from  those  already  constructed  and  terminating  in  Bos-  , 
ton.  It  is  true  that,  in  thus  opening  their  numerous  avenues  into  the  interi- 
or and  to  distant  parts,  they  are  promoting  their  own  permanent  interest  by 
the  rapid  increase  of  business,  and  consequently  the  value  of  real  estate  j 
and  therefore  it  may  be  said  that  they  are  entitled  to  no  credit  for  their  liber- 
ality— that  may  possibly  be  so — yet  they  are  entitled  to  much  credit  and  we 
wish  we  could  say  the  same  of  the  citizens  of  New  York — for  their  sagOr 
city  in  making  the  discovery — and  of  profiting  by  it. 

EASTERN  RAILROAD. 

This  road  consists  of  three  distinct  corporations  ;  one  in  Massachusetts, 
one  in  New  Hampshire  and  one  in  Maine.  Its  entire  length  is  105  miles, 
and  its  cost  $3,788,218  17. 

The  management  of  the  whole  line  being  in  one  company,  or  father  two 
companies,  having  the  same  man,  D.  A.  Neal,  Esq.,  of  Salem,  for  president 
of  each,  there  is  no  jarring  of  interest,  but  all  things  appear  to  be  well  man- 
aged.    They  divided  6^  per  cent,  in  1843,  and  judging  from  what  we  saw  , 
and  learned  in  passing  over  it,  and  from  the  monthly  reports  of  business 


•I- 


Boston  and  Maine  Railroad.  347  > 

this  year  to  1st  July,  the  net  profits  will  exceed  8  per  cent.     The  number  ■ 
of  tickets  sold  per  day  is  about  1500  and  the  average  price  less  than  55  cents     _. 
each  which  shows  that  a  very  large  part  of  the  travel  is  Way  travel.     Du-  y 
ring  the  past  winter  several  thousand  cords  of  wood  were  brought  over  thia  V 
road  from  Maine  to  Boston  at  $2  a  cord,  thus  demonstrating  in  a  convincing  -,' 
manner  the  value  of  railroads,  not  only  to  large  cities  but  also  to  those  who  ; 
have  anything  to  send  to  market—even  wood. 

The  machinery  and  gars  on  this  road  are  of  a  superior  order  and  the  con- 
ductors attentive  and  affable.     The  road  is  in  tolerably  good  condition ;  the  r 
rail  is  of  the  T  pattern,  supported  by  cast  iron  chairs  of  peculiar  construc- 
tion, being  much  higher  than  those  in  general  use,  designed  to  aid  in  keep-  v' 
ing  the  track  free  from  snow. 

When  this  road  was  commenced,  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  Salem 
doubted  its  being  a  good  investment  of  capital,  and  some  even  proposed,  as    ; 
we  were  informed,  after  it  was  fairly  commenced,  to  abandon  it.     Yet  now, 
notwithstanding  a  rival  road,  the  Boston  and  Maine  road,  through  Andover, 
Dover  and  Exeter  to  Portland,  or  to  North  Berwick  where  it  unites  with  - 
this  road,  it  is  esteemed  a  good  investment,  and  the  people  are  actually  talk- 
ing of  another  railroad  from  Salem  to  Boston,  intermediate  between  this  and 
the  north  road  through  Andover ;  thus  showing  in  the  most  conclusive  man-     . 
ner  that  railroads  above  all  other  modes  of  communication,  create  their  own 
business.  ^:^-.:-  ivU  > . :i^^  ;; 

An  Mbrt  will  soon  be,  if  it  has  not  already  been  made,  to  extend  this  road   . 
on  to  Brunswick  and  Bangor,  thereby  opening  a  more  easy  communication  •- 
between  Boston  and  the  interior  of  Maine.     This  is  a  measure  certain  to  be    ■ 
carried  into  effect,  and  at  an  early  day. 

The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  the  directors  in  July  last,  will  • 
show  the  estimation  in  which  the  stock  is  held  by  those  who  know  its  value.^ 

"  To  meet  the  increased  and  increasing  traffic,  six  new  merchandize  cars  *  / 
have  been  put  on  the  road,  and  one  of  the  heavy  engines  so  altered  as  to  be  - 
better  adapted  to  the  rails,  and  a  part  of  the  cost  has  been  carried  to  con-  ^ 
struction  account.     A  new  engine  of  great  power  has  recently  been  receiv-     ;' 
edand  is  now  on  trial,  and  a  new  passenger  car  will  shortly  be  placed  on  : 
the  track,  the  bill  of  which,  about  $8,500,  when  paid,  will  be  carried  to  the  ■''_ 
same  account,  and  will  it  is  believed  be  all  the  additional  working  apparatus  ^^■ 
that  is  required  for  our  present  business. 

"The   1950  new  shares  held  by  the  company,  as  per   last  years  repoxU 

were  disposed  of  shortly  after  the  annual  meeting,  at  par."  i  a 

,  .  -  ?V-f'': 

BOSTON   AND    MAINE    RAILROAD.  . J/      .  , .  >.;"     .J--:«i?^; 

This  road  embodies  more  distinct  interests  than  almost  any  other  road  of  .- 
equal  length.     The  distance  from  Boston  to  Portland  by  this  route  is   109     .• 
miles  and  there  are  no  less  than  Jive  corporations  embraced  in  it ;  Isl  the    :  i 
Lowell  road  is  used  for  15  miles ;  then  that  part  in  Massachusetts,  reaehing 
to  the  New  Hampshire  line ;  then  that  part  in  New  Hampshire ;  then  the 
line  in  Maine  from  New  Hampshire  to  South  Berwick,  where  it  unites  with 
the  Portsmouth,  Saco  and  Portland  road,  on  which  the  cars  nin  thirty -three  r 


348  '~       i>»-    Lowtll  Railroad.  '-' - 

miles.  This  road  passes  through  an  excellent  country,  filled  with  flourish- 
ing villages  most  of  which  have  grown  up  within  a  few  years  by  means  of 
their  manufactures.  They  divided  six  per  cent,  last  year  and  the  net  income 
will  probably  exceed  7  per  cent,  this  year.  The  prosperous  condition  of 
this  company  has  induced  them  to  construct  about  20  miles  of  new  road  from 
Boston  to  a  point  on  their  present  road  near  Ballardville  and  thus  become 
independent  of  the  Lowell  road,  to  whom  they  now  pay  for  the  use  of  15 
miles  of  their  road.  When  this  extension  shall  have  been  completed,  as  it 
will  be  early  next  year,  there  will  be  six  distinct  lines  radiating  from  Bos- 
ton reaching  into  adjoining  States.  The  termination  of  this  road  with  aa 
extensive  depot,  is  to  be  nearer  the  centre  of  the  city  (within  1000  feet  of 
State  street)  than  either  of  the  others.  The  general  management  of  this 
road  appears  to  be  good,  the  cars  are  easy  and  neat,  but  there  is  occasional- 
ly delay  at  the  junction,  as  there  will  often  be,  where  two  roads  rely  upon 
the  same  power  to  perform  a  part  of  the  service. 
The  superstructure  is  laid  as  follows  : 

,.  <c  fphg  earth  excavations,  and  embankments  are  levelled  off,  and  one  and 
a  half  feet  of  sand,  or  gravel,  is  then  filled  on  to  the  road  ;  the  subsills  of 
plank  are  then  laid  longitudinally,  and  the  sleepers  of  chestnut,  cedar  or 
hackmetac  are  laid  transversely,  paftly  two  and  one  half  feet,  and   partly 

4.  .hree  feet  apart.  Iron  rails  of  the  T  pattern  are  then  laid,  supported  at  the 
joints  by  cast  iron  chairs,  and  spiked  to  the  sleepers  ;  sand  or  gravel  is  then 
filled  in  between  the  sleepers." 

The  averrge  width  of  grade  is  14  feet,  and  the  greatest  curvature  1050 
.;:  feet  radius. 

This  and  the  "  Eastern  railroad"  through  Salem  and  Portsmouth,  may 
be  considered  rival  lines,  yet  the  managers  of  both  appear  to  be  actuated  by 
a  desire  to  accommodate  the  people,  and  at  the  same  time  benefit  their  stock- 
'  V  Aolders,  rather  than  to  destroy  each  other,  and  they  have  therefore  entered 
'into  an  amicable  arrangement  by  which  the  fares  on  the  two  roads  are  uni- 
form. 


LOWELL    RAILROAD. 

This  is,  we  believe,  justly  considered  one  of  the  best  built  and  most  pro- 
ductive railroads  in  the  t:ountry.  We  passed  over  it  a  short  time  since  and 
found  it  in  excellent  condition  and  well  managed.  This  was  the  first  rail- 
road built  in  this  country  parallel  with  a  canal,  and  now  the  canal  is  scarce- 
ly thought  of,  although  it  is  still  in  use,  as  we  inferred  from  what  we  saw. 
The  business  of  Lowell  must  be  greatly  facilitated  by  this  road,  as  must  be 
that  of  other  manufacturing  towns  by  its  continuation — the  Nashua  and  Con- 
cord road ;  and  it  appears  singular  to  those  at  a  distance  that  the  people  of 
New  Hampshire  will  stand  so  much  in  their  ovm.  light  as  to  prevent  its  ex- 
tension across  the  State  to  some  point  on  the  Connecticut  river  from  whence 
it  may  be  extended  to  Burlington  Vt.,  or  to  Canada  ;  but  so  it  is,  and  they, 
like  the  people  of  this  city  will  be  compelled  to  do  in  self-defence  what  they 
should  have  done  as  a  matter  of  policy,  before  others  got  the  start  of  &'m ; 


'^^'*r  Harhm  Jtailroa^i:;/ ■  349 

and  then  the  Lowell  railroad  will  reap  the  rich  harvest,  to  which,  by  its  fa- 
vorable position  it  is  entitled.  '!3-*«i.^':4.i*-  .;--*^«t^^ 
:t-  We  were  disappointed  in  not  obtaining  documents  which  would  enable  us 
to  speak  definitely  in  relation  to  its  current  business  as  compared  with  pre- 
vious years  ;  but  from  what  we  learned  it  is  safe  to  anticipate  a  greater  divi- 
dead  thau  was  paid  last  year,  which  was  8  per  cent. 

v.;  i      ii      :•&  '.'.  .  HAELEM    RAILROAD. 

This  road  was  opened  on  Saturday  last,  2Gth  inst.,  to  White  Plains  West- 
chester county,  the  distance  of  about  27  miles  from  the  City  Hall.  The 
president,  directors  and  invited  guests  of  the  company  left  the  City  Hall  a 
few  minutes  past  1  P.  M.,  and  reached  the  terminus  of  the  road,  near  the 
villajie  of  White  Plains  a  little  after  3.  The  route  of  the  road  is  for  sever- 
al  miles  along  the  valley  of  the  Bronx,  crossing  it  five  times  in  seven  miles. 
So  far  as  we  could  judge  the  new  part  of  the  road  is  substantially  built  and 
the  rail  of  good  pattern  and  well  laid.  From  the  statement  of  the  president 
we  learn  that  they  have  now  ample  power  both  of  horse  and  steam,  with  a 
full  supply  of  good  cars,  to  work  the  road  efficiently,  which  we  hope  will 
be  done  both  for  the  benefit  of  the  stockholders  and  the  convenience  of  the 

community.  "  J  ?^- ^Tl  f  l^;  ;'>\  -  /. .  ^^.' /  ,  .'         ■  '  ■-.■ 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  the  terminus  of  the  road,  all  were  invited  to  take 
seats  at  the  tables,  which  were  under  the  charge  of  chief  engineer  Downing 
and  of  course  well  supplied  with  steam.  The  president  of  the  company, 
David  Banks,  Esq.,  took  the  chair,  and  was  supported  on  his  right  by  the 
chancellor  of  the  State,  and  on  his  left  by  the  vice  chancellor,  with  several 
members  of  the  judiciary  and  of  the  common  council  of  this  city  on  either 
side,  who  appeared  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  important  business  of  the 
day,  and  to  enjoy  in  prospect  the  benefits  to  result  from  the  extension  of  the 
road  to  that  point.  The  president  made  a  lengthy  statement  in  relation  to 
the  present  condition  of  the  company  and  alluded  to  the  probable  connection 
with  the  Housatonic  railroad  and  to  the  possible  extension  to  Albany  direct^ 
l)ut  he  did  not,  nor  did  any  other  gentleman  who  spoke,  take  the  broad 
ground  which  we  have  long  contended  for,  that  there  must,  will  and  shau. 
be  a  railroad  directly  to  Albany  and  above  all  to  lake  Erie;  and  that  it  is 
not  only  the  interest  but  also  the  duty  of  the  capitalists,  owners  of  real  es- 
tate and  the  business  men  of  New  York,  to  come  forward  at  once  and  sub- 
scribe for  the  stock  ;  and  we  were  somewhat  disappointed  in  not  hearing 
these  important  topics  discussed  by  some  of  the  able  and  deeply  interested 
friends  of  railroads  who  were  toasted  and  responded  to  the  compliment  jt 
Many  toasts  were  given  and  speeches  made,  complimentary  to  the  gen- 
tlemen who  now  have  the  management  of  the  work,  and  we  hope  they  may 
not  only  feel  encouraged,  but  also  in  duty  bound  to  adopt  immediate  mea- 
sures to  extend  the  work  to  Albany.  It  is  now  more  than  eleven  years 
since  the  Harlem  railroad  was  commenced,  durmg  which  time  the  city  of 
Boston  has  constructed  or  contributed  mainly  to  the  construction  of  nearly 


V; 


.-^i-...?v  ..;.';-,:!d.^.?v^;j.;-.,-;. .     ■-;  "^..■f.^.-i 


350 


Reading  Railroad.  • 


Jive  hundred  miles  of  railroad,  by  which  she  reaches  directly  ^c«  different 
States,  aad  shares  with  New  York  the  benefit  of  her  great  canals  and  the 
immense  trade  of  the  great  west.  It  is  not,  then,  we  trust,  expecting  too 
much  of  those  who  have  given  new  impetus  to  the  works  on  the  Harlem 
railroad,  when  we  say  to  them,  gentlemen  the  people  of  New  York  look  to 
you  and  others  of  like  enterprize,  for  the  extension  of  this  work,  and  not 
only  this  but  one  of  still  greater  importance ;  so  that  we  may,  when  our 
noble  rivers  are  in  icy  fetters  bound,  penetrate  the  interior.  Shall  they  be 
disappointed  ? 

A  more  favorable  period  could  not  perhaps  be  desired  than  the  present 
for  the  resumption  of  operations  on  these  two  important  roads.  There  are 
now  in  almost  every  direction,  long  lines  of  railroad  successfully  engaged  in 
the  transportation  of  freight  as  well  as  passengers ;  and  it  is  no  longer 
a  doubtful  question  of  their  ability  to  compete  successfully  with  canals  for 
heavy  freight.  It  has  also  become  matter  of  history  that  railroads  create 
business  for  themselves ;  and  that  when  judiciously  located  between  impor- 
tant points,  and  especially  through  a  productive  agricultural  and  manufac- 
turing region,  they  not  only  contribute  largely  to  the  business  facilities  of 
the  people  and  particularly  to  the  poor,  with  whom  time  is  capitaf,  but  also 
insure  to  those  who  own  the  stock  a  liberal,  and  what  is  better,  a  constantly 
increasing  return.  Rivers  increase  in  volume  as  they  receive  the  successive 
tributaries  which  flow  into  them,  and  are  of  course  important  or  insignificant 
in  proportion  as  their  course  is  extended  and  through  a  region  affording 
abundant  streams.  So  with  railroads  between  important  points,  and  through 
fertile  regions,  abounding  in  the  elements  of  a  varied  and  extensive  business 
and  terminating  in  large  cities,  they  become  useful  to  the  people  and  profit- 
able to  their  owners  in  proportion  to  their  length  and  the  number  of  branch- 
es and  latteral  roads,  which  are  sure  to  connect  with  them  from  year  to 
year,  when  once  in  operation.  Then  it  is  that  those  links  in  the  long  chaia 
of  road,  which  are  nearest  to  its  principal  termination,  become  the  most  im- 
portant and  most  profitable.  Why  not,  then,  gentlemen  of  the  Harlem  rail- 
road, make  your  road  the  last  link  in  those  important  chains  which  are  sure 
to  reach,  not  only  Albany  and  lake  Erie,  but  also  the  Canadas  and  the  great 
far  off  west  ?  These  and  nothing  but  these  are  terminations  worthy  of  the 
efforts  of  the  city  of  New  York  ! 


READING     RAILROAD. 

Since  our  last  number  the  second  track  of  this  road  has  been  completed, 
and  we  have  to  regret  our  inability  to  be  present  at  the  celebration  of  its 
opening  in  accordance  with  a  polite  invitation  to  be  there.  It  matters  little, 
however  ;  the  day  was  auspicious,  the  company  large  and  merry,  and  the 
performance  all  that,  and  even  more  than  the  ntiost  sanguine  friends  of  rail- 
roads had  claimed  for  locomotive  power.  We  only  wish  that  the  whole 
city  of  New  York,  or  at  least  every  business  man  of  it,  could  have  been 
there  to  see  the  "  Ontarid^  locomotive,  with  its  150  iron  cars,  containing 


A|:Vl£\K*u  ^m^'Raiiu>ay  Intelligence  etc^       ^[''''^  '  ''  '  ^1 

764  tons  of  coal,  or  a  quantity  sufficient  to  load  the  largest  paclrct  that  ever 
sailed  out  of  this  port  previous  to  the  introduction  of  locomotitve  engines 
into  the  United  States — moving  on  at  the  rate  of  8  or  10  miles  an  hour — 
towards  the  Delaware.  What  wouH  the  British  army  have  said  if,  while 
they  were  revelling  in  the  luxuries  of  winter  quarters  in  a  large  city,  and 
Washington  and  his  brave  Continentals  were  freezing  and  starving  at  Val- 
ley Forge,  they  had  discovered  the  approach  of  such  a  power  with  such 
followers  ?  There  would  have  been,  it  strikes  us,  more  swearing  than  there 
ever  was  in  Flanders ;  and  possibly  the  sight  of  such  a  performance  might 
have  aroused  the  good  citizens  of  New  York 'to  the  performance  of  their 
duty  and  to  the  construction  of  the  great  work  which  is  to  add  so  much  to  - 
jhe  wealth,  the  comfort  and  the  reputation  of  their  city. 

IMPROVED    RAILROAD    CAR    TRUCK    FRAMES. 

We  observed  at  the  Fair,  in  Boston,  a  model  of  an  improved  truck  frame 
for  railroad  cars,  which  we  ascertained  was  from  the  manufactory  of  Messrs. 
Davenport  and  Bridges  of  Cambridgeport.     The  peculiar  advantages  of    ' 
this  plan  are  its  simplicity  and  durability.     The  entire  frame  is  of  wrought 
iron  and  it  is  put  together  and  firmly  secured  by  only  eight  bolts,  instead  of 
over  sixty,  as  in  most  wooden  frames  ;  and  what  is  also  important,  it  is  both    - 
lighter  and  cheaper  than  the  wooden  frame,  and  when  by  any  accident  it   t 
shall  be  broken,  the  fragments  are  still  good  wrought  iron,  and  worth  half 
as  much  as  when  new,  and  in  the  bar.    On  visiting  the  manufactory  of  these    ,; 
gentlemen  we  found  that  in  other  respects,  as  well  as  that  above  alluded  to, 
their  cars  are  of  a  superior  quality  and  worthy  of  the  examination  of  rail- 
road companies  wishing  to  purchase  substantial  cars. 


.1 jCin. 


BRATTLEBORO     RAILROAD. 

We  learn  by  the  Boston  papers  that  $930,000  of  the  million  required  to 
complete  the  railroad  from  Fitchburg,  Mass.  to  Bratileboro',  V^t.  has  been 
taken  in  Boston  since  the  convention  in  September  last.  This  is  as  we  an- 
ticipated from  the  spirit  evinced  by  the  Bostonians  at  that  meeting,  and  in- 
creases the  amount  subscribed  in  Boston  to  railroad  .stocks  siace^January 
last,  to  nearly  $2,500,000. 

|nf»  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company  have  lately  reduced 
the  freight  for  the  transportation  of  flour  from  Cumberland  to  Baltimore 
from  sixty  cents  to  fifty  cents  a  barrel,  and  from  Harper's  Ferry  to  Balti- 
more to  twenty-Jive  cents. 


The  following  notice  leads  to  the  supposition  that  the  old  projected  line 
across  the  centre  of  Vermont  is  to  be  again  brought  into  the  field. 

"  Notice  is  hereby  given  that  the  books  for  subscription  to  the  capital 
stock  of  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad,  will  be  opened  on  the  29lh  day  of 
this  month,  at  1  o'clock,  P.  M.,  at  M.  Cottrill's  in  Montpelier,  and  at  How- 
ard's hotel  in  Burlington.— Oc^o^er  IZik,  1844. 


-vi':*.;'. . 


^fROSPECTUS  for  an  ENLARGED  RAILROAD  JOURNAL. 

;., iCf  After  the  1st  of  January  next,  this  Journal  will  be  issued  weekly,  in 
quarto  form,  of  16  pagt;s,  as  fiom  1832  to  1838.  The  quantity  of  matter 
given  will  be  three  times  that  of  the  present  Journal,  and  the  price  will  be 
increased  from  two,  to  three  dollars,  in  advance.  ,^. 

j-..  The  immense  amount  of  capital  expended  on  railways  in  this  country  ;  the 
great  number  of  new  works  projected,  and  sure  to  be  undertaken  before 
long  ;  the  actual  value  of  railways  as  permanent  investments  and  the  general 
interest  taken  in  them  by  the  public,  demand  at  least  a  weekly  Journal  de- 
voted mainly  to  the  dissemination  of  railway  information.  In  England  there 
are  at  this  time  four  such  Jou  rnals,  exclusive  of  the  scientific  works.  There, 
however,  the  openness  with  which  all  is  carried  on,  and  the  interest  taken 
at  their  frequent  meetings  by  the  stockholders  who  are  not  directors,  furnish, 
es  an  immense  quantity  of  matter  for  the  railway  press.  Occasional  extracts 
from  the  discussions  at  these  meetings  will  be  of  use  here  in  stirring  up  the 
Individual  stockholders  to  a  knowledge  of  their  rights.  Our  limited  space 
as  well  as  the  sphere  of  our  discussions  for  the  la.st  few  years  has  kept  our 
circulation  almost  entirely  among  Engineers  ;  but  we  now  propose,  without 
rendering  it  less  useful  or  interesting  to  them,lo  add  much  valuable  infor- 
mation wanted  by  a  new  and  very  large  class  of  readers  whom  we  hope  to 
reach. 

The  object  of  our  journal,  when  first  established,  was  rather  to  collect  in- 
formation which  might  be  useful  to  those  embarking  in,  or  having  the  su- 
perintendence of,  such  novel  undertakings  ;  as  at  that  time  there  were  only 
92  miles  on  five  different  railways  in  operation,  and  locomotive  engines  were 
•carcely  known  in  this  country.  Then  details  of  construction  occupied  the 
prominent  place ;  whereas  now,  the  management  of  railways,  their  cost,  in- 
come and  dividends,  will  especially  receive  our  notice  ;  though  all  improve- 
ments, whether  actual  or  projected,  will  of  course  continue  to  receive  our 
unremitfing  attention.  We  now  intend  to  bring  ont  a  weekly  paper  which 
shall  not  only  be  useful  to  the  Engineer,  but  we  hope  indispensable  to  that 
large  portion  of  the  community  who  look  to  railways  as  offering  a  safe,  per- 
manent and  productive  investment  of  capital ;  or,  we  may  say  more  briefly, 
that  we  aim  at  a  Railway  Journal  for  stockholders,  and  those  taking  a  gen- 
eral interest  in  the  progress  of  railways  and  other  public  works,  as  well  as 
for  Engineers  who  have  the  superintendence  of  construction  and  the  man- 
agement  of  railroads. 

■*  We  shall  publish  in  each  number  carefully  corrected  tables,  showing  the 
statistics  of  the  various  railroads  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe,  together 
with  accurate  reports  of  the  weekly  sales  of  stocks ;  and  we  shall  speak 
freely  in  relation  to  the  management  of  railroads  as  we  may  from  time  to 
lime  feel  called  upon. 

We  design  also  to  make  it  useful  for  advertising  Railway,  Steamboat, 
Canal  and  other  means  of  travel  and  transportation,  as  well  as  for  the  man- 
ufacturers of  Locomotive  Engines,  Cars  and  all  other  Machinery* 


.     .^., ..,  -,:...t''  '  ^'  ■  'AMERICAN  ^,^,"  ■■  ■  M^-i^- 


RAILROAD  JOURNAL, 


AND 


^  •:-:'>•  . 


,W  :- 


MECHANICS'  MAGAZINE. 


^"afi'^lfeaf/u^^fngr'rco^L^^^^ j  D-  K.  MINOR,  Editor. 

'*^irK?es.'-(  ^      DECEMBER,  1844.  I'^vl^rl^' 


THE   RAILROAD   JOURNAL. 

|I3*  This  number  closes  the  volume  and  the  thirteenth  year  since  the 
commencement  of  its  publication. 

Of  the  wonderful  improvements  made  within  that  period,  both  in  the  con- 
struction and  management  of  railroads,  it  is  quite  unnecessary  now  to  speak 
except  so  far  as  it  may  be  useful  by  way  of  illustrating  the  future.  It  is 
enough,  to  say  that  the  system  has  g^o^vn  within  that  time  both  in  this  coun- 
try' and  in  Europe,  from  less  than  one  hundred  miles  in  either,  to  several 
thousands  in  each  country ;  and  that  the  onward  progress  of  the  system 
never  was  as  rapid,  as  certain  nor  as  successful  as  at  the  present  time. 

Believing  that  a  well  conducted  periodical,  devoted  mainly  to  the  cause,    ' 
will  promote  its  success,  we  announced  in  our  last  number  that  the  Rail- 
road Journal  would,  on  and  after  1st  of  January  next,  be  issued  weekly  in     , 
its  original  quarto  form  of  16  pages. 

It  seems  to  us  highly  necessary  that  shareholders  should  become  more 
familiar  with  their  particular  roads,  as  well  as  with  the  operation  of  the 
system  generally,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  This  can  only  be 
done  by  a  more  frequent  publication  of  this  or  some  other  journal  devoted 
to  the  subject. 

Having  been  the  first  to  establish  a  periodical  of  the  kind  either  on  this 
or  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  entertaining  the  opinion  that  railroads 
are  destined  w^ith  very  few  exceptions  to  supersede  canals  as  well  for  trans- 
portation as  for  travel,  and  that  important  improvements  are  yet  to  be  made  - 
both  in  their  construction  and  management,  we  are  resolved  to  devote  our 
efforts  to  the  advancement  of  this  important  cause,  which  is  doing  so  much  • 
to  promote  the  prosperity,  comfort  and  intelligence  of  the  millions — the 
mass — the  poor ! 

We  hold  that  railroads  are  doing  more  than  any  other  institution  among    • 
us  except  our  schools,  towards  placing  the  people  on  terms  of  equality,  and 
fortunately  their  tendency  is  to  level  upward,  instead  of  downward.     They 


.:.••!;  ."■ 


354    •       ■     ''    -  V  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.    '■■ 


.\ 


enable  the  poor  man  to  ride  as  comfortably  as  the  rich,  and  what  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  them  they  save  more  than  the  cost  in  time. 

Entertaining  these  views  of  the  value  of  railroads  and  of  the  advantages 
which  may  result  to  them  and  we  hope  to  ourselves  from  a  well  conducted 
journal  devoted  mainly  to  the  cause,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  adopt  the  plan 
herein  indicated,  and  confidently  rely  for  support  on  those  of  our  citizens,, 
whose  interests  are  more  or  less  identified  with  the  success  of  railroads. 


'       BALTIMORE    AND   OHIO   RAILROAD, 

In  giving  the  report  of  this  company,  as  promised  in  our  last,  we  would 
draw  attention  to  two  important  points  towards  the  establishment  of  which 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  company  have  contributed  so  largely.  These  are 
firstly,  the  very  large  amount  of  business  which  a  railway  through  a  thinly 
settled  country  will  draw  to  itself,  and  secondly,  the  views  presented  as  to 
the  actual  cost  of  transportation  on  works  with  the  gradients  and  curves  of 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railway.  Both  positions  are  again  confirmed  by 
the  experience  of  the  Western  railroad  of  Massachusetts. 

It  seems  necessary  for  us  to  give  the  following  report  for  other  reasons. 
We  shall  be  obliged  frequently  to  refer  to  it  during  the  coming  winter  in 
discussing  the  proper  policy  to  be  pursued  in  this  State,  and  especially  in 
pointing  out  the  causes  which  have  so  long  delayed  the  re-commencement 
of  operations  on  our  greatest  undertakings. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  held  pursuant  to  the  charter,  on  the  2nd 
Monday  of  October  1844,  in  the  city  of  Baltimore;  the  president  and  direc- 
tors of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company  submitted  the  following 
report  and  statement  of  the  affairs  of  the  company : 

First. — Of  the  Main  Stem. 

The  statement  A  shows  that  the  state  of  the  company's  affairs  on  the  30th 
ultimo  ;  and  the  revenue  and  expenses  of  the  mairi  stem,  for  the  year  ending 
on  the  same  day,  are  shown  by  the  statement  B. 

,  There  is  also  submitted  a  tabular  statement,  marked  C,  prepared  by  the 
entriiieer  of  machinery  and  repairs,  which  presents  in  detail  the  operations 
of  the  main  stem,  and  the  actual  expenses  of  working  that  part  of  the  road 
during  the  year  ;  together  with  the  amount  of  receipts,  from  all  sources, 
during  the  same  period. 

These  statements  show  a  considerable  increase  both  of  travel  and  trade : 
and  a  diminution  in  the  expenses,  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  business : 
and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that,  although  the  number  of  passengers  over 
the  entire  length  of  the  road,  has  increased  at  least  thirty-six  per  cent,  upon 
that  of  the  past  year,  the  aggregate  increased  cost  of  transporting  them  does 
not  exceed  five  hundred  dollars. 

It  is  believed  that  the  economy  in  the  working  and  management  of  the 
road,  is  as  perfect  as  that  of  any  other  similar  road  in  this  country  or  in  • 
Europe. 

The  revenue  received  from  passengers,  is  greater  by  $59,712.21,  and 
that  from  tonnage  622,061 .32  than  the  receipts  from  the  same  sources  dur- 
ing the  preceding  year  ;  making  together  $81,773.53. 

The  net  receipts  from  the  business  of  the  main  stem,  over  and  above  the 
expenses,  independent  of  its  connection  with  the  Washington  branch,  amoiut 
to  the  sum  of  $346,940.03,  being  nearly  five  per  cent,  upon  the  capital,  and 


"V-i:^^ 


^<.  '. 


I  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  ,    356 

one  per  cent,  more  than  the  net  earnings  of  the  year  ending  on  the  30th  of 
September,  1843. 

The  injuries  to  three  of  the  culverts  near  Harper's  Ferry,  alluded  to  in 
the  last  annual  report,  have  been  fully  repaired,  and  the  work  finished  in 
the  most  substantial  manner,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500  less  than  the  estimate  pre- 
sented in  that  report. 

The  board  regret  that,  in  the  present  report,  they  are  called  to  record  an 
accident  to  the  bridge  over  the  Potomac  at  Harper's  Ferry,  by  which  one 
of  the  arches  of  that  structure  has  been  destroyed. 

The  arch  gave  way  under  the  weight  of  a  single  Engine  and  tender, 
after  sustaining  the  entire  work  of  the  road  for  nearly  two  and  a  half  years, 
and,  only  the  day  previous,  eight  heavy  trains  of  passengers  and  burthen, 
without  the  slightest  indication  of  defect  or  weakness  in  amy  part. 

Providentially,  no  life  was  lost,  and  but  slight  injury  sustained  by  any  of 
the  men  who  were  carried  down  in  the  fall ;  nor  was  the  engine  materially 
damaged. 

A  delay  of  a  few  hours  only  was  occasioned  in  the  passenger  travel,  and 
the  interruption  in  the  tonnage  transportation  was  less  than  a  week. 

The  remaining  six  arches  of  the  bridge,  even  those  contiguous  to  that 
which  fell,  have  received  no  injury  from  the  fall. 

A  thofbugh  investigation  into  all  the  particulars  of  the  accident,  has  sat- 
isfied the  board  that  it  was  occasioned  by  the  decay  of  several  pieces  of  tim- 
ber, comprising  an  important  part  of  the  framing  of  the  arch. 

This  part  of  the  superstructure,  in  order  to  protect  it  as  far  as  practicable 
from  the  weather,  had  been  closely  covered  by  weather  boarding  and  roof- 
ing, which  rendered  it  inaccessible  to  the  ordinary  inspection  constantly 
made  of  these  structures  ;  and  the  timber  having  been  in  use  for  two  years 
only,  there  was  no  reason  to  suspect  any  unsoundness. 

No  settlement  of  the  frame  had  previously  taken  place  inconsistent  with 
the  soundness  and  safety  of  the  structure,  and  it  had  borne,  only  the  evening 
previous,  the  usual  trials  of  its  strength  ;  indeed  the  final  fracture  took  place 
in  a  part  of  the  frame  so  situated,  and  so  surrounded  and  kept  in  place,  as 
that  there  could  be  no  sensible  yielding  without  a  total  giving  away.  The 
decay,  therefore,  most  probably  proceeding  from  an  unperceived  leak  in  the 
tin  roof  and  the  spreading  of  the  water  between  the  several  pieces  of  timber 
composing  the  straining  beam,  had  been  progressing  silently  and  unsuspect- 
ed, until  the  strength  of  the  remaining  sound  wood  became  insufficient  to 
withstand  the  strain  to  which  it  was  subjected. 

This  accident,  it  is  believed,  does  not  authorize  any  suspicion  of  an  inhe- 
rent defect  in  the  principle  of  construction  of  this,  or  any  other  bridge  em- 
ployed on  the  line  of  the  road.  In  the  opinion  of  the  skilful  engineers,  by 
whom  the  plan  of  the  bridges  was  adopted,  it  is  a  combination  of  the  most 
excellent  and  approved  forms  of  superstructure  known  to  the  science  of  en- 
gineering :  the  principal  features  being  modeled  after  those  of  the  celebrated 
bridge  over  the  Rhine  at  Schaff  haausen,  which,  previously  to  its  destruc- 
tion by  fire,  was  considered  one  of  the  most  admirable  specimens  of  the  art 
in  the  world.  The  heavy  trade  of  the  railroad,  and  of  numerous  droves  of 
cattle  on  that  part  of  it  common  to  the  public,  which  the  ruined  arch  had 
withstood  for  more  than  two  years,  and  the  greater  evidence  of  strength  of- 
fered by  some  other  bridges  precisely  the  same  in  principle  on  other  parts 
of  the  line,  for  upwards  of  five  years,  also  inspire  great  confidence  in  the 

Slan  of  these  structures ;  which,  from  the  lesson  now  learned,  may  be  ren- 
erad  even  more  secure  in  the  future. 
Immediately  after  the  occurrence  of  the  accident,  the  weather  boarding 


.**'' 


356  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

was  removed  from  all  the  other  structures  upon  the  Ime  of  the  ^dacfj'and  a 
minute  investigation  made  into  the  state  and  condition  of  all  their  parts. 
ft  Every  precaution  will  be  immediately  taken  to  give  additional  strength 
and  security  to  these  structures  ;  and  nothing  will  be  omitted  to  prevent  a 
recurrence  of  an  accident. 

The  board  have  already  determined  upon  a  plan  of  reconstructing  the 
arch  at  Harper's  Ferry,  which  will  not  only  ensure  more  adequate  protec- 
tion of  the  timber  from  the  effects  of  the  weather,  but,  at  the  same  time,  ex- 
pose all  parts  of  the  structure  to  a  daily  and  minute  investigation  of  their 
condition. 

The  entire  loss  occasioned  by  the  accident,  and  the  sum  required  to  restore 
the  arch  to  a  condition  of  even  greater  strength  and  security,  is  estimated 
not  to  exceed  $7,594.40,  being  88,933.92  less  than  the  surplus  revenue  of 
the  year  just  ended. 

In  all  other  respects  the  entire  line  of  the  road,  including  the  depots  and 
water  stations  ;  together  with  the  cars,  engines  and  machinery  of  every  de- 
scription, are  in  a  state  of  thorough  repair,  and  adequate,  without  augment- 
ation, for  the  accommodation  of  twelve  per  cent,  more  than  the  business  of 
the  past  year. 

During  the  year  there  have  been  paid  to  the  Messrs.  Baring  an  instal- 
ment of  $50,000,  and  interest  to  the  amount  of  $14,809.72,  amounting,  with 
the  cost  of  placing  the  funds  in  England^  to  $71,106.92,  and  the  former 
being  paid  in  advance  produced  a  saving  in  interest  of  $1,100.  After  these 
payments  the  balance  due  Messrs.  Baring,  payable  in  annual  instalments  of 
$50,000,  is  reduced  to  $200,000. 

In  the  same  time  there  has  been  paid  from  the  receipts  of  the  year,  for  an 
additional  engine  mentioned  in  the  last  annual  report ;  for  walling  the  shafts 
of  the  Doe  Gully  Tunnel,  keying  up  and  refitting  bridges  ;  for  the  sideling 
at  Dam  No.  6,  under  the  arrangement  with  the  canal  company ;  for  im- 
provements at  the  Cumberland  depot,  balances  for  right  of  way,  and  various 
other  items  arising  out  of  the  construction  of  the  road,  the  sum  of  $46,747.45. 

There  have  also  been  paid  in  the  year  $29,200  of  the  debts  remaining 
unpaid,  alluded  to  in  the  last  annual  report ;  leaving  of  this  class  imsettled 
only  $11,500,  which  is  yet  in  litigation. 

Besides  the  foregoing  items,  there  have  been  applied  during  the  year 
$38,216.74  to  the  construction  of  coal  cars  for  the  transportation  of  coal 
from  the  mines  to  Baltimore,  pursuant  to  "the  contract  with  the  Maryland 
and  New  York  iron  and  coal  company,  referred  to  in  another  part  of  this 
report :  and  which,  during  the  present  year,  the  board  propose  to  reimburse 
from  the  proceeds  of  the  coal  trade. 

After  these  payments,  and  the  payment  of  interest  on  account  of  the  miC 
lion  loan,  the  net  revenue  of  the  year  from  the  main  stem,  (including  the 
sum'of  $61,956  received  from  the  Washington  road,)  amounts  to  $200,582.- 
18,  and  with  $10,945.14,  the  surplus  of  the  year  1843,  makes  an  aggregate 
of  revenue  on  hand  from  this  road,  of  S21 1,527.32. 

Of  this,  the  board  have  applied  to  the  purposes  of  the  sinking  fund,  ac- 
cording to  the  resolution  announced  in  the  annual  report  of  1842,  for  the 
reimbursement  of  the  loan  contracted  for  the  construction  of  the  Washing- 
ton road,  the  sum  of  S20,000,  and  of  the  balance,  they  have  determined  to 
divide  among  the  stockholders,  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  upon  each  share 
of  stock,  payable  on  and  after  the  first  day  of  November  next ;  leaving  a  sur- 
plus of  §16,527.32 ;  being  $8,932.92  more  than  the  cost  estimated  to  repair 
the  loss  occasioned  by  the  accident  to  the  bridge  at  Harper's  Ferry. 
^  While  reporting  the  condition  of  the  main  stem,  and  result  of  the  opera- 


'  ■r"*'  ■; 


.'<-&>iy^.*iix--m'/     .t'M^ .-J':^?t^i  -.'•.^fi^lKi.'r 


I ' ' .  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  357 

tions  of  the  year,  the  board  would  not  discharge  their  duty  if  they  failed  to 
recall  the  attention  of  the  stockholders,  and  especially  that  of  the  city  au- 
thorities, to  the  onerous  expenditure  annually  incurred  by  the  necessity  of 
introducing  passengers  and  burthen  into  the  city  by  the  employment  of 
horse  power,  and  which  must  necessarily  subtract  that  sum,  whatever  it 
may  be,  from  the  amount  which  might  otherwise  be  divided  among  the 
stockholders,  and  paid  into  the  city  treasury.  This  source  of  expense,  al- 
ready amounting  annually  to  no  less  than  $18,171.77,  must  continue  to  in- 
crease in  proportion  to  the  augmentation  of  trade  and  travel  over  the  road. 

Considering  the  numerous  sources  of  competition  with  which,  in  its  pre- 
sent unfinished  condition,  this  work  so  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the  city, 
must  contend,  every  motive  of  sound  policy  would  seem  to  recommend  the 
utmost  possible  reduction  in  the  expenses  of  transportation  ;  and  if  Baltimore 
hopes  successfully  to  contend  with  other  rival  works,  in  whatever  quarter 
they  may  exist,  the  public  authorities  will  find  it  necessary  to  lend  all  the 
aid  in  their  power  to  cheapen  the  introduction  of  produce  and  merchandize 
into  this  market. 

The  necessity  of  employing  horse  power  through  the  streets  of  the  city, 
does  not  add  less  than  ten  cents  per  ton  to  transportation  of  all  kinds  upon 
the  railroad  ;  of  which  the  obvious  effect  is  not  only  to  drive  much  of  the 
trade  to  other  channels,  but  to  reduce  the  net  revenue  upon  that  which  it 
may  be  possible  to  retain. 

.  The  harmless  employment  of  steam  power  under  proper  regulations  in 
the  streets  of  other  cities,  and,  by  another  company,  in  those  of  Baltimore, 
already  shows  that  the  privilege  may  be  extended  to  this  company  without 
serious  apprehension  of  damage  ;  and  it  maj'  be  safely  affirmed  that  if  the 
city  authorities  desire  to  retain  the  present  amount  of  trade  in  flour  and  other 
produce  ;  or  to  enjoy  to  any  considerable  extent  the  advantages  of  the  trans- 
portation of  coal,  this  privilege  will  be  indispensable. 

In  the  last  annual  report,  the  stockholders  were  informed  that,  upon  the 
application  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal  company,  the  board  has 
consented,  wish  their  existing  power,  and  as  a  part  of  the  general  trade,  to 
engage  in  the  transportation  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6  on  the 
canal,  at  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  to  be  thence  carried  by  canal  to  the 
District  of  Columbia  ;  and  it  was  at  the  same  time  stated  that,  the  company 
might  engage  in  it  al  a  less  charge  on  the  whole  or  any  part  of  the  line. 

It  will  appear  in  the  course  of  this  report,  and  has  already  been  officially 
stated  to  the  legislature,  that  it  may  do  so  at  little  more  than  half  that  charge. 

The  charge  of  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile  had  been  previously  established 
as  the  fixed  rate  for  the  transportation  of  coal,  without  regard  to  time,  dis- 
tance or  quantity ;  and  the  object  of  the  canal  company,  in  proposing  the 
arrangement,  was  to  induce  this  company  to  provide  the  necessary  sidelings 
at  dam  No.  6,  and  engage  in  the  transportation,  in  connection  with  the  ca* 
nal,  at  the  same  rates. 

If  in  the  opmion  of  the  canal  company  a  less  charge  than  two  cents  per 
ton  per  mile  would  have  been  necessary  for  the  success  of  the  arrangement 
it  desired  to  make,  it  would  have  been  practicable  to  make  an  arrangement 
for  that  purpose ;  and  if  the  railroad  company  could  have  relied  upon  an 
amount  of  trade  equal  to  50,000  tons  per  annum,  it  would  have  been  willing' 
to  have  increased  its  machinery  for  that  purpose,  according  to  the  growth 
and  requirements  of  the  coal  trade. 

The  canal  company  proposed  the  charge  of  two  cents  as  a  rate  mutually 
for  the  interest  of  both  companies ;  and,  in  the  opinion  of  those  proposing  it, 
as  low  as  would  be  necessary  to  insure  the  transportation  of  coal  upon  th** 


358  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 


I----------  "'^ 


railroad  to  dam  No.  6,  in  sufficient  quantities  "  to  meet  the  growing  de-   ' 
mand  in  the  market  for  that  article." 

Representing  the  toll  on  coal  by  the  canal  from  dam  No.  6  to  George- 
town, at  half  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  and  the  freight  at  the  same,  the  presi- 
dent of  the  canal  company  believed  that  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile  on  the  .= 
railroad,  even  during  a  period  of  two  years,  "  would  enable  the  dealer  to    ,. 
Sell  his  in  market  at  a  profit  sufficient  to  encourage  the  trade." 

The  means  of  transportation  at  these  rates  being  insured,  the  extent  of    • 
the  demand  would,  nevertheless,  in  the  opinion  of  the  canal  company,  be 
uncertain,  and  the  trade  necessarily  in  some  degree,  an  experiment,  only  to 
be  determined  by  circumstances ;  though  from  assurances  received  from 
parties  concerned  in  the  coal  fields,  the  quantity  of  iron  and  coal  which  one  . 
company  alone  would  require  to  be  transported  the  first  year,  it  was  thought  ... 
would  amount  to  from  fifty  to  eighty  thousand  tons :  that  "  a  regular  supply  ? 
being  furnished  the  principal  steamboat  company  on  the  Hudson  would  con- 
sume about  $500,000  worth  annually,  and  that  the  consumption  of  the  city 
of  New  York  alone,  would  not  be  less  than  200,000  tons  per  annum." 
^      The  canal  company  rightly  judged  that,  if  the  coal  fields  of  the  Alleghe- 
ny could  be  developed  to  such  an  extent,  or  even  in  a  far  less  degree,  the 
arrangement  proposed  would  be  mutually  advantageous  to  both  companies ; 
and  although  this  company  was  in  no  degree  misled  by  these  expectations, 
and  were  satisfied  that  many  years  would  elapse  before  they  could  be  real- 
ized even  to  a  moderate  extent,  they  were  unwilling  to  reject  an  appeal  thus 
made,  and  decline  a  business  upon  terms  which,  under  any  circumstances, 
and  without  reference  either  to  amount  or  regularity,  would  yield  af^ood 
profit. 

The  result  however  has  proved  that  the  canal  company  either  greatly 
overrated  the  ability  of  the  coal  dealers,  or  the  extent  of  the  demand;  since 
from  that  time  to  the  30th  ultimo  inclusive,  notwithstanding  this  company 
provided  a  sideling  at  dam  No.  6,  costing  $2,000, — less  than  4,000  tons  of 
coal,  and  not  any  iron,  has  been  oflTered  for  transportation  in  the  manner 
contemplated  by  the  arrangement.  It  may  be  added  that,  during  the  same 
period,  no  evidence  was  afforded  that  any  capital  had  been  obtained  for  * 
working  the  mines,  or  any  arrangements  made  towards  the  preparation  of 
the  necessary  transportation  of  coal  from  thence  to  Cumberland ;  except  in 
the  instance  of  a  single  company ;  and  by  that,  arrangements  have  been 
made  Avith  the  railroad  company  for  the  transportation  annually,  for  the  pe- 
riod of  five  years,  of  fifty  thousand  tons  of  iron,  coal  and  fire  brick,  from 
the  mines  to  Baltimore. 

Under  such  circumstances  the  board  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  make  any 
addition  to  their  existing  power,  or  to  adopt  the  improved  machinery  by 
which  it  is  now  certain  the  cost  of  transportation,  may  be,  and  in  fact  has  v 
been  reduced  to  little  more  than  half  the  charge  assented  to  between  Cum- 
berland and  dam  No,  6. 

Until  the  board  could  be  certain  of  completing  the  railroad  to  Cumber-  ^ 
land,  there  was  little  occasion  to  investigate  its  capacity  for  the  transportation 
of  coal ;  and  indeed  from  the  character  of  the  machmery  generally  in  use  - 
upon  railroads  before  that  period,  a  general  impression  prevailed  that  for 
heavy  articles,  the  value  of  which  in  market  bore  so  small  a  proportion  to 
their  weight  as  to  admit  of  very  low  charges,  for  long  distances,  these  roads 
would  not  be  a  desirable  mode  of  transportation. 

For,  although  a  like  weight  of  flour  and  coal,  other  things  being  equal, 
might  be  transported  at  the  same  charge,  it  is  nevertheless  obvious  that  in 
consequence  of  the  greater  value  of  a  ton  of  flour  than  an  equal  quantity  of 


•  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  369 

coals,  a  rate  of  charge  which  might  well  be  paid  by  the  former,  would  be 
altogether  too  high  for  the  latter. 

The  improvements  in  railway  machinery,  however,  have  been  gradually, 
but  constantly,  progressive ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1842,  when  it  was  certain 
that  in  the  course  of  the  year  the  railroad  would  be  completed  to  Cumber- 
land ;  anticipating  that,  from  that  time  they  might  be  required  to  some  ex- 
tent to  engage  in  the  transportation  of  coal,  at  least  for  the  consumption  of 
Baltimore,  the  board  directed  a  thorough  investigation  by  Mr.  Knight,  chief 

:  engineer,  into  the  power  of  their  machinery  for  the  purposes  of  transporta- 
tion generally,  includiiig  that  of  coals  and  iron. 

For  the  better  understanding  of  what  follows,  it  may  be  proper  here  to 

■.  state  that,  the  chief,  if  not  the  only  object  for  which  railways  were  first  in- 
troduced, was  the  transit  of  heavy  merchandize  at  a  moderate  rate  of  speed ; 
and,  for  many  years  after  their  introduction,  were  exclusively  used  for  the 
purposes  of  the  great  colliery  railways  in  England.  As  late  as  the  year 
1821,  the  first  of  the  modern  or  travelling  class  was  authorized  in  England: 

;  and  in  1826  the  railway  between  Manchester  and  Liverpool  was  chartered. 

■*  Down  to  that  time  the  transportation  of  heavy  merchandize  was  the  chief 
object  it  professed  ;  and  even  then  it  was  not  determined  to  employ  locomo- 
tive power.  As  late  as  the  year  1829  when  it  became  necessary  to  deter- 
mine the  nature  of  the  power  to  be  employed,  the  utmost  capacity  hoped  to 
be  attained  in  the  locomotive  was  an  engine  weighing  not  more  than  six 
tons,  capable  of  drawing  on  a  level  and  straight  road,  at  ten  miles  an  hour, 
three  times  its  own  weight,  and  to  cost  less  than  83,000.  Although  at 
least  one  eminent  engineer  in  England  ventured,  at  that  time,  to  hazard  the 
speculation  that  at  some  future  day  an  improved  engine  might  be  construct- 

;  ^  with  capacity  to  maintain  a  speed  of  twelve,  sixteen,  eighteen  or  twenty 

'.:  miles  an  hour,  it  was  treated  in  the  official  reports  of  commissioners  select- 
ed to  determine  the  nature  of  the  power,  as  so  extravagant  as  to  prejudice 

'  the  scheme  of  employing  the  use  of  locomotive  power. 

Long  before  the  spring  of  1842,  this  speculation  had  been  more  than  re- 

;  alized. 

The  genius  of  American  artists  also  had  outstripped  the  improvements  in 

,    England ;  and  this  company  was  actually  employing  upon  their  road  en- 

fines  weighing  fourteen  tons,  running  on  eight  wheels,  of  which  four  were 
rivers  ;  and  capable  of  drawing  on  a  level  and  straight  road  600  tons,  and 
over  grades  of  eighty-two  and  a  half  feet,  with  curves  of  one  thousand  feet 
radius,  not  less  than  eighty  tons  at  a  speed  of  eight  miles  an  hour. 

The  investigation  made  by  Mr.  Knight,  under  the  direction  of  the  board, 
contemplated  the  use  of  this  class  of  engines.  So  far  as  it  related  to  coalj^ 
it  also  contemplated  a  regular  trade,  which,  in  his  estimate,  he  charged  with 
a  full  share  of  the  expenses  of  maintenance  of  way,  and  interest  of  six  per 
.  cent,  upon  the  capital.  Including  these  elements,  he  estimated  the  cost  of 
the  transportation  of  coals  from  Cumberland  to  Baltimore  at  one  cent  and  a 
half  per  ton  per  mile.     Comprehending  the  same  elements,  the  cost  would 

•  have  been  less  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6. 

The  report  of  Mr.  Knight  was  submitted  and  published  in  March,  1842 ; 
and  as  early  as  that  period,  Ross  Winans,  an  ingenious  mechanic  of  Balti- 
.  more,  had  not  only  contrived  a  far  more  important  improvement  in  the  loco- 
motive, but  had  actually  constructed  an  engine  Aveigning  twenty  tons,  run- 
ning on  eight  wheels,  all  of  which  are  drivers, — and  with  the  weight  equal- 
ly distributed  over  the  whole,  so  as  that  the  bearing  upon  any  one  is  not 

•  greater  than  upon  that  of  the  ordinary  machine  of  ten  tons  weight, — capable 
y,  of  hauling  over  a  level  and  straight  road,  1 100  tons ;  and  over  grades  of 


360  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  • 

eighty-two  and  a  half  feet  to  the  mile,  with  curvatures  of  one  thousand  feet 
radius,  about  170  tons,  at  a  speed  of  eight  miles  per  hour. 

With  a  knowledge  of  the  results  of  Mr.  Knight's  investigation  and  of  the 
further  improvements  and  advantages  in  railway  machinery,  it  was  impos- 
sible the  board  should  doubt  their  ability  to  engage  in  the  transportation  of 
coals,  at  rates  not  only  profitable,  but  sufficiently  low,  according  to  any  rate 
of  charges  then  known,  to  exclude  the  apprehension  of  rivalry  from  other 
quar  ers.  In  this  sense  only  are  the  observations  of  the  board  upon  this 
part  of  the  subject,  in  their  second  reply  to  the  house  of  delegates,  when 
confined  to  their  context,  to  be  appropriately  taken. 

The  capacity  of  the  railway  for  the  transportation  of  coals  was  according- 
ly announced  in  their  annual  report  of  October  1842;  and  it  was  at  the 
same  time  assumed  that,  when  the  road  should  be  completed  to  Cumberland, 
and  thence  to  the  mines,  the  demand  in  the  market  of  Baltimore,  and  other 
parts  of  the  Union,  might,  in  a  short  time,  require  the  transportation  of  100,- 
000  tons  of  coal  annuallJ^ 

The  board  was  satisfied  that  without  suitable  conveyances  from  the  mines 
to  Cumberland,  neither  the  coal  nor  iron  could  be  advantagednsly  sent  to 
market  from  Cumberland,  by  any  channel  whatever  ;  and,  in  the  meantime, 
they  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  make  any  preparations  to  engage  in  the  busi- 
ness. They  considered  it  not  less  apparent  that  even  after  sach  conveyances 
should  be  provided,  the  trade  in  coals,  would  be  regulated  by  the  extent  of 
a  demand,  in  a  great  degree  dependent  upon  the  price  at  which  the  article 
could  be  afforded. 

Neither  point  was  free  from  embarrassment,  and  the  interest  of  the  stock- 
holders required  that  the  subject  should  be  investigated  with  great  care. 
The  grounds  upon  which  a  just  determination  could  be  made  were  in  some 
degree  speculative.  So  far  as  any  positive  data  could  be  obtained,  the  con- 
sumption of  bituminous  coal  had  been  gradually  and  regularly  diminishing, 
and  that  of  the  anthracite  increasing  in  a  much  larger  proportion,  and,  with- 
in some  years  past,  with  great  rapidity.  The  latter  had  been  advantage- 
ously adapted  to  the  manuflicture  of  iron:  more  extensively  to  the  use  of 
steamboats,  locomotive  engines,  to  the  purposes  of  manufactures  generally, 
and  for  all  domestic  uses.  The  consumption  of  this  article  had  been  gra- 
dually extending  throughout  most  parts  of  the  Union.  From  the  facilities 
of  delivering  it  in  the  market  by  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  work,  the  Read- 
ing railroad  and  other  improvements  in  Pennsylvania,  the  price  had  been 
gradually  diminishing,  and  the  low  price  at  which  it  was  ordinarily  selling 
in  the  markets  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  made  it  quite  plain  that  thft 
existing  demand  for  coals,  for  most  purposes  throughout  the  coijntry,  was 
fully  supplied  by  it. 

It  was,  therefore,  obvious  that  the  introduction  of  the  Cumberland  coal, 
in  any  considerable  quantity,  could  only  be  effected  by  superseding,  to  near- 
ly an  equal  extent,  the  use  of  the  anthracite ;  and  from  the  preference  so 
long  given  to  the  latter,  and  the  adaptation  of  machinery  of  all  kinds  to  its 
use,  they  believed  the  degree  in  which  this  might  be  effected  for  many  years 
at  least,  exceedingly  doubtful ;  too  doubtful,  in  their  opinion,  to  warrant  a 
large  expenditure  of  capital  in  preparations  for  the  trade.  It  was  desired 
rather  that  the  extent  of  demand  should  be  previously  tested  by  actual  expe- 
riment. 

If  any  reliance  could  be  placed  upon  the  estimates  of  the  cost  of  transport-; 
ation  upon  canals  by  the  improved  Ericsson  propellers,  it  was  evident  that, 
with  suitable  roads  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland,  and  the  use  of  the  rail- 
road to  dam  No.  6,  even  at  the  rate  of  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  the  expe- 


V/VA'      --l.'^'--r.      ".   .i':  ^:i'    *-.-...',■%.  "'     *■■*■-•   '-Jv  **<*•>  */V-i    ' 


,..■■'.  .s5>:- -•:->, 


'  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

riment  might  be  made  with  nearly  the  same  advantage  as  when  that  work 
•hould  be  completed  to  Cumberland.  '' 

In  that  case,  the  charge  for  transportation  upon  forty-five  miles  of  rail- 
road, at  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile  would  amount  to  ninety  cents :  the  tolls 
one  hundred  and  thirty-four  and  a  third  miles  of  canal  at  half  a  cent  per  ton  , 
per  mile  for  the  cargo,  and  two  cents  per  mile  for  the  boat,  (assuming  the 
average  cargo  of  boats  to  be  eighty  tons)  would  be  seventy-four  cents :  and 
if  to  this  should  be  added  thirty -three  and  a  half  cents  for  transportation  on 
one  hundred  and  thirty-four  and  a  half  miles  of  canal,  at  the  rate  of  forty- 
six  cents  for  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  and  a  half  miles,  and  thirty-five 
cents  for  contingencies  and  transhipment  at  Georgetown,  making  together 
sixty-eight  and  a  half  cents,  the  entire  cost  of  transportation  by  this  mode, 
of  a  ton  of  coal  from  Cumberland  to  Georgetown,  including  expense  of  put- 
ting it  on  board  a  vessel  at  that  place,  would  not  exceeed  two  dollars  thirty- 
two  and  a  half  cents. 

If  the  charge  upon  the  railroad  should  be  placed  at  one  and  a  third  cent 
per  ton  per  mile,  as  it  might  be,  the  entire  cost  of  coals,  according  to  the  as- 
sumed cost  of  the  Ericsson  propellers,  from  Cumberland  to  Georgetown, 
would  be  only  two  dollars  two  and  a  half  cents  per  ton. 

Without  meaning  to  vouch  for  the  results  expected  from  the  application 
of  the  Ericsson  propellers,  no  reason  was  perceived  why  they  might  not  be 
used  with  the  same  advantage,  below  as  above  dam  No.  6 ;  and  that  if  a 
demand  for  the  Cumberland  coal  could,  under  any  circumstances,  be  created 
to  any  extent,  it  might  not  be  effected  as  well  in  the  manner  here  mentioned, 
as  by  any  other  means. 

It  appeared  to  be  the  plain  duty  of  the  board,  therefore,  to  await  such  de- 
relopments  ;  and,  lo  engage  in  the  business  when  it  should  be  demanded  by 
the  public,  and  be  profitable  to  the  company. 

In  the  month  ot  January  1844,  and  previously  to  the  order  of  the  house 
of  delegates  of  the  24th  of  that  month,  the  board  were  officially  informed 
by  the  president  of  the  Maryland  and  New  York  iron  and  coal  company, 
that  having  procured  the  funds  requisite  to  construct  a'  railway  from  the 
mines  to  Cumberland,  he  was  anxious  to  proceed  with  the  work ;  if  the 
charge  for  the  transportation  of  iron  and  coal  from  the  mines  to  Baltimore, 
could  be  fixed  at  «!uch  rate  as  would  warrant  him  in  adopting  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad  for  the  transportation  of  his  products. 

The  same  officer  subsequently  proposd  a  contract  for  that  "  purpose, 
to  continue  for  five  years  after  the  completion  of  his  road ;  to  furnish  a 
freight  of  coal,  pig  iron,  bar  iron,  fire  brick  and  castmgs  and  other  manu- 
factures of  iron,  (the  principal  freight  being  coal)  in  quantities  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  tons  per  day,  for  three  hundred  days  ia  the  year./ 
The  construction  of  the  railway  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland,  was  repre- 
sented as  dependent  upon  the  acceptance  of  the  proposition  by  the  railroad, 
company,  upon  terms  which  would  be  entirely  satisfactory. 

After  the  necessary  investigation  of  the  subject,  the  board  agreed  to  fur- 
nish cars  and  moving  power,  and  to  transport  the  freight  proposed  from  the 
mines  to  a  suitable  shipping  point  at  Baltimore,  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  and 
one  third  of  a  cent  per  ton  per  mile,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  miles,  with  an  addition  of  ten  cents  per  ton  for  transportation  through 
the  streets  of  BaUimore ;  the  cars  to  be  loadtd  and  unloaded  at  the  expense 
of  the  Maryland  and  New  York  company,  and  when  iron  and  other  arti- 
cles should  be  transported  in  house  cars,  there  should  be  added  for  such  ary 
tides  one  cent  per  ton  per  mile  for  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  iniles. 

These  terms  were  accepted  by  the  Maryland  and  New  York  company," 


303  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  -         ' 

who  proceeded  to  the  construction  of  the  railway,  and  to  make  the  other  re- 
quisite preparations  to  carry  it  into  effect. 

This  company  also  is  preparing  the  proper  number  of  the  heavy  engines, 
and  coal  cars ;  and  both  parties  have  mutually  agreed  that  the  operations 
under  the  contract  shall  commence  on  the  first  day  of  November  next 

The  estimates  of  cost  upon  which  the  board  felt  warranted  to  enter,  into 
this  contract,  will  be  found  in  the  appendix  to  this  report 

In  the  course  of  a  short  time,  therefore,  any  speculation  which  may  in 
any  quarter  be  indulged  of  the  ability  of  either  party  to  comply  with  its  en- 
gugements,  will  be  at  an  end:  and  the  adaptation  of  the  railroad  to  the  trans- 
portation of  coals  and  iron  at  the  above  rates  will  be  subjected  to  the  test  of 
actual  experience. 

On  the  25th  of  January,  and  February,  1844,  respectively,  during  the 
negotiations  with  the  Maryland  and  New  York  iron  and  coal  company, 
and  without  the  prompting  or  knowledge  of  the  board,  two  orders  passed 
the  house  of  delegates,  requiring  the  president  and  directors  to  report  to 
the  house  the  lowest  rate  of  toll  per  ton  per  mile,  at  which  the  company 
would  agree  to  transport  coal,  iron,  etc.,  from  Cumberland  to  dam  No.  6,' 
under  a  permanent  arrangement ;  and  also  to  report  upon  various  other 
points  comprehended  in  the  orders. 

These  orders  and  the  several  replies  of  the  board  to  the  points  embraced 
in  them,  dated  the  first  and  fifteenth  of  February,  will  be  found  in  the  ap- 
pendix to  this  report ;  and  will  afford,  it  is  believed,  a  satisfactory  view  of^ 
the  whole  subject. 

If  by  the  inquiries  contained  in  the  orders,  the  legislature  designed,  as  it 
may  be  presumed  they  did,  to  invite  or  lead  the  railroad  company  to  lend 
its  assistance  to  the  encouragement  or  development  of  the  coal  trade,  the 
terms  upon  which  the  board  expressed  their  willingness  to  do  so  must  be 
conceded,  in  any  view  of  the  subject  to  be  just  and  reasonable. 

The  rates  of  charge,  stated  in  the  replies,  were  little  more  than  one  half 
of  those  that  had  been  previously  proposed  as  quite  low  enough  to  develope 
the  trade  ;  and,  sufficiewtly  low,  in  the  mode  indicated  in  this  report,  to  en- 
able the  dealer  to  put  his  coal  on  board  of  a  yessel  at  Georgetown,  and 
thence  at  New  York  at  less  cost,  it  was  supposed,  than  coal  from  other  parts 
of  the  Union  had  been  previously  delivered  at  the  same  city. 

Indeed,  the  rate  of  charge  assented  to  by  the  railroad  company  appeared 
to  be  so  much  lower  than  had  been  anticipated,  and  so  much  below  what 
had  been  previously  deemed  sufficient,  as  to  beget  an  apprehension  of  the 
ability  of  the  company  to  engage  in  the  trade  at  such  rates. 

The  other  terms  presented  in  the  replies  of  the  board  cannot  be  deemed 
less  reasonable.  They  required  only,  previous  to  expending  the  capital  of 
the  stockholders  in  making  preparations  for  the  trade,  that  communications 
absolutely  indispensable  to  the  transportation  of  ,coal  to  market  should  be 
made  from  the  mines  to  Cumberland ;  that  capital  should  be  provided  to 
work  the  mines,  and  that  responsible  parties  should  engage  to  furnish  coal 
in  proper  quantities,  to  employ  the  machinery  necessary  for  its  transporta- 
tion. 

These  conditions  were  considered  as  the  appropriate  evidence  of  the  ex- 
istence of  a  demand  to  an  extent,  short  of  which,  no  means  of  transportation 
would  be  needed. 

The  coal  and  iron  of  the  Allegheny  region  is  not  to  be  developed  by  a 
demand  dependent  upon  a  precarious  and  occasional  supply.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  can  only  be  effected  by  steady  operations,  conducted  with  such  capi- 
tal as  will  be  adequate  to  maintain  a  regular  trade ;  and  if  those  concerned 

■  -^  ■'■■■'■     ■      ,      .     .  -H-- ■—■■■■-:■■-> 


^  t->-    ;■!:•  ,.- 


.    f'/     :      Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  363 

in  such  operations  have  no  confidence  in  a  demand  equal  to  th©  sale  of  fifty  ■ 
thousand  tons  per  annum,  there  can  be  little  inducement  for  the  preparation 
of  extensive  conveyances  to  market.  The  board  at  least  was  unwilling  to 
expend  one  or  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  machinery,  not  adapted  to 
other  purposes,  for  a  branch  of  transportation  dependent  upon  casualties  by 
which  it  might  be  only  occasionally  employed :  and  unless  they  would  have 
been  content  to  rely  upon  vague  expectation,  and  a  precarious  trade,  it  is  dif-  , 
ficult  to  imagine  any  conditions  more  reasonable  than  those  prescribed. 

That  the  estimates  of  the  cost  of  transportation  are  sufficiently  liberal, 
there  need  be  no  reasonable  doubt. 

Founded  by  the  actual  experience  of  the  company  in  their  operations, 
they  are  little  liable  to  error ;  and  are  sustained  not  only  by  the  engineers 
by  whom  they  are  prepared,  but  by  Mr.  Knight,  by  whom  they  have  beea 
carefully  examined,  and  compared  with  the  elements  of  his  former  report 

That  they  may  be  fairly  understood,  these  estimates  must  be  considered 
in  reference  to  the  particular  trade  to  which  only  they  are  applicable. 

They  suppose  a  distinct  branch  of  transportation  separate  from,  and  whol- 
ly independent  of  the  general  trade  and  traffic  of  the  road ;  and  therefore 
not  properly  chargeable  with  the  existing  and  fiiedWxpenses  incident  to  the 
general  miscellaneous  business ;  which  would  be  the  same  without  the  trade  ■'' 
in  coals.  " 

They  also  include  only  that  degree  of  wear  and  tear  due  to  this  particular 
operation.  >^'  :  ,• 

The  estimates  suppose  also :  First — the  use  of  the  heavy  improved  en- 
gines, possessing  double  the  capacity  of  those  assumed  in  the  former  report 
of  Mr.  Knight.  Second — a  cheaper  and  lighter  description  of  cars,  by- 
which  the  useful  load  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  the  car  is  consider- 
ably increased ;  and  Third — a  larger  amount,  and  greater  regularity  in  the 
trade. 

Conforming  the  data  embraced  in  the  report  of  Mr.  ICnight  of  1842  to 
these  elements,  the  present  estimates  will  be  shown  to  be  abundantly  suffi-  , 
cient.  They  have  also  received  the  approbation  of  respectable  scientific  . 
journals  throughout  the  Union,  and  are  found  to  be  even  more  liberal  than  i^ 
those  comprehending  the  actual  cost  of  similar  transportation  upon  other  v.: 
roads  in  the  United  States. 

All  estimates  of  the  actual  cost  of  transportation  upon  English  railveays, 
of  which  we  have  any  accurate  knowledge  in  detail,  are  of  a  date  so  remote 
as  to  embrace, only  the  earlier  description  of  locomotive  power ;  possessing 
from  a  third  to  a  fifth  of  the  capacity  of  that  proposed  to  be  employed  upon 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  in  the  transportation  of  coals :  and  contem- 
plate the  use  of  a  description  of  cars  weighing  one  ton  and  three-tenths,  and 
with  a  capacity  to  carry  two  tons  and  six-tenths  of  coal. 

Conforming  the  actual  cost,  according  to  the  experience  in  England,  and 
the  description  of  machinery  there  employed,  to  the  improved  engines  and 
cars  to  be  used  by  this  company,  it  will  be  foud  to  correspond  with  the  pre- 
sent estimates,  and  to  verify  them  in  every  particular.  By  the  most  recent 
authority  of  the  best  approved  authors  of  England,  it  has  been  confidently 
stated  that  coals  may  be  transported  upon  English  railways  at  half  penny  per 
ton  per  mile :  which  is  not  only  about  the  same  as  the  cost  assumed  in  the 
estimates  of  this  company,  but,  when  taken  in  connection  with  the  more  ex- 
pensive operations  of  English  railways,  would  warrant  even  a  less  estimate 
in  the  United  States,  than  that  now  given. 

The  board  have  it  in  their  power  to  state  also,  that,  subsequent  to  the  date  - 
of  the  estimates  submitted  to  the  house  of  delegates,  a  further  improvement   . 


•     ". 


364  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

has  been  made  in  the  construction  of  the  coal  cars,  by  which  a  greater  rti^ 
duction  in  the  cost  of  transportation  is  effected. 

»'  The  estimates  submitted  to  the  house  of  delegates  adopted  a  car  of  a  wood 
frame,  costing  three  hundred  and  eighty  dollars,  weighing  three  tons  and 
carrying  seven  tons  of  coal.  In  the  improved  car,  subsequently  invented 
and  now  adopted,  sheet  iron,  in  a  cylindrical  form,  is  substituted  for  wood, 
costing  three  hundred  and  forty  dollars,  weighing  two  and  a  half  tons  and 
carrying  seven  tons  of  coal. 

In  the  appendix  to  this  report  the  board  subjoined  a  revised  estimate  of 
cost  founded  upon  this  improvement,  and  including  interest  of  six  per  cent, 
upon  the  capital  employed  in  the  machinery ;  by  which  it  satisfactorily  ap- 
pears that  coal  may  be  transported  from  the  mines  to  dam  No.  6,  at  a  cost 
less  than  one  cent  per  ton  per  mile ;  and  to  Baltimore  at  a  cost  of  one  cent 
and  half  a  mill  per  ton  per  mile. 

It  is  thus  shown  that  the  statement  of  the  capacity  of  the  railroad  submit- 
ted by  the  board  in  their  reply  to  the  legislature  of  the  15th  of  February 
1844,  is  in  all  respects  confirmed,  and  may  be  fully  relied  upon. 

The  board  desire  again  to  repeat  that  whether  it  may  be  expedient  to  en- 
gage to  any  extent  in  the  transportation  of  coal  at  the  rates  now  estimated, 
must  depend  upon  contingencies  not  at  present  to  be  foreseen.  They  have 
at  no  time  particularly  desired  to  engage  in  it ;  and  would  always  regard 
it  as  quite  subordinate  to  the  paramount  duty  of  pressing  forward  their  work 
to  the  Ohio  river  ;  leaving  the  general  trade  in  coals  and  iron  from  the  Al- 
legheny region,  to  others  more  ambitious  of  monopolizing  it.  So  long, 
however,  as  the  railroad  may  be  arrested  at  Cumberland,  the  transportation 
of  these  articles  must  unavoidably  form  a  natural  and  legitimate  object  of 
attention  ;  and  during  this  time,  if  those  concerned  in  supplying  the  demand, 
looking  to  the  advantages  of  speed  and  uniformity  of  working  at  all  seasons, 
find  it  advantageous  to  resort  to  the  railroad,  neither  the  interest  of  the  stock- 
holders nor  a  due  regard  to  the  trade  of  Baltimore  would  permit  the  board 
to  decline  the  business. 

Second. — Of  the  Washington  Road. 

The  affairs  of  the  Washington  road  are  she\\Ti  by  the  statements  D  and  E. 

These  statements  show  an  improvement  not  less  gratifying  in  the  trade 
and  travel  and  in  the  operations  of  the  road,  and  also  in  the  expenses  of 
working  the  road  in  proportion  to  the  business,  that  has  been  already  stated 
in  those  of  the  main  stem. 

The  net  earnings  for  the  year  ending  on  the  30th  ultimo,  are  $104,519.- 
33,  being  upwards  of  six  per  cent.;  which  added  to  the  surplus  of  the  pre- 
ceding year  amounting  to  $6,275.86  make  an  aggregate  of  $110,795.19,  or 
six  and  five-eighths  per  cent,  upon  the  capital  of  the  road.  Of  this  sum  the 
board  have  decided  to  divide  among  the  stockholders  six  dollars  per  share, 
payable  qn  and  after  the  first  day  of  November  next ;  reserving  a  surplus  of 
$11,795.19. 

The  board  deem  it  proper  on  this  occasion  to  announce  their  purpose  in 
future  of  dividing  among  the  stockholders  the  net  earnings  of  this  road  semi- 
annually, without  reference  to  the  operations  of  the  main  stem. 
•  The  sum  paid  to  the  State  for  the  six  months  from  the  1st  of  July,  1843, 
to  the  1st  of  January,  1844,  being  one-fifth  of  the  gross  receipts  from  pas- 
sengers, amounted  to  $18,189.19,  and  from  the  1st  of  January,  1844,  to  the 
1st  of  July,  1844,  to  $22,851.10,  making  together  $41,040.29. 

It  will  be  observed  that  if  to  this  sum  of  $41,040.29  be  added  the  sum  of 
$33,000,  the  amount  of  dividend  to  be  received  by  the  State  from  the  Wash- 


Baltimore  and  Ohio  BailroacL  366> 

ingtoh  road,  $12,500,  the  dividend  from  the  main  stem,  and  $1,269,60  re- 
gularly remitted  to  London  as  the  interest  on  £5,250,  the  amount  of  the    ^ 
sterling  bonds  sold  on  account  of  the  State's  subscription  of  $3,000,000,  it 
will  be  seen,  that  during  the  year,  the  State  has  received  the  aggregate  sum   ;' 
of  $86,809.89  being  nearly  nine  per  cent,  upon  the  actual  investment  in     "^ 
both  roads. 

The  railway,  the  passenger  and  burthen  cars  and  depots  and  water  stat  , 
tions  are  in  good  condition  ;  and  a  comparative  statement  of  the  operations  V 
upon  the  road  during  the  past  and  preceding  year,  is  here  appended,  marked  F.    ^ 

In  the  last  annual  report  the  board  adverted  to  the  rivalry  between  the 
inland  route  south  of  Washington,  by  the  railroad  through  Richmond  and 
Petersburg,  of  which  the  Washington  railroad  forms  an  important  coimec-. 
tion,  and  the  bay  line  from  BaUimore  to  Norfolk,  and  thence  by  the  Ports- 
mouth and  Roanoke  railroad:  and  they  stated  the  desire  of  the  parties  inte-^V 
rested  in  the  southern  railroads,  that  this  company  should  co-operate  with  4  \ 
them  in  such  reduction  in  the  fare  upon  the  Washington  road  as  might  be  : 
necessary  to  bring  a  greater  amount  of  travel  to  the  inland  route. 

The  board  also  acquainted  the  stockholders  with  the  provisions  of  their, 
charter,  forbidding  any  reduction  in  the  charge  upon  the  Washington  road 
with  the  consent  of  the  legislature,  or,  in  the  recess,  of  the  Governor  of  the  - 
State :  and  which  also  prevents  the  railraad  company  from  applying  to  the 
legislature  for  such  consent,  without  conferring  upon  that  body  a  dangerous-  . 
control  over  the  chartered  privileges  of  the  company.        :-^^4r 

During  the  last  session  an  application  was  made  to  the  legislature  by 
other  parties  to  consent  to  a  reduction  in  the  charge ;  and  the  railroad  com- 
pany itself  was  desirous  that  the  discretion  vested  in  the  Grovernor  to  be  ex- 
ercised by  him  in  proper  contingencies  in  the  recess,  should  also  he  extend- . 
ed  to  the  board  of  directors,  in  order  that  it  might  be  exercised  when  a  pro-  " 
per  occasion  should  arise  with  a  better  knowledge  of  the  circumstances  than 
the  Governor  in  most  cases  could  possess. 

It  is  very  obvious  that  at  the  time  of  granting  the  charter,  although  it  es- 
tablished for  general  purposes  a  maximum  and  minimum  charge,  the  legis-    - ; 
iature  itself  foresaw  that  contingencies  might  arise  in  which  it  would  be  ex-  -  ; 
pedientand  necessary,  temporarily  at  least,  to  reduce  the  charge ;  and  ac-  ; : 
cordingly  on  this  ground  they  authorized  the  Governor  to  act  in  the  recess. 
Experience  has  shown  that  the  necessity  thus  contemplated  was  not  over- 
rated  by  the  legislature ;  but  it  has  also  shown  that  the  discretion  they  pro-  ^ 
vided  for  the  emergency,  has  proved  altogether  inadequate  ;  and  under  these  ■ 
circumstances  it  appeared  to  the  board,  not  less  for  the  interest  of  the  State 
than  for  the  public  and  the  stockholders,  that  a  similar  discretion  should  be 
vested  in  the  board,  who  with  a  familiar  knowledge  of  the  subject,  might  : 
act  in  this  respect  under  the  same  responsibility  as  that  under  which  ail  1 
their  other  duties  are  performed. 

By  any  existing  law,  the  board  have  the  unlimited  power  to  reduce  the  ' 
charge  upon  ail  passengers  going  and  returning  between  the  two  cities  of  - 
Baltimore  and  Washington,  or  between  any  intermediate  points  on  the  same 
day  :  and  no  objection  was  perceived  to  such  enlargement  of  the  power  as  . 
might  be  found  to  increase  the  travel  upon  the  road,  and  to  augment  the  re-  .^ 
venue  of  the  company. 

It  pleased  the  legislature,  however,  not  only  to  withold  such  discretion 
from  the  board  of  directors,  but  to  adjourn  without  giving  any  consent  upon 
their  own  part  to  a  reduction  in  the  charge  ;  and  it  is  the  opinion  of  the 
board  that  in  consequence  of  this  failure  on  the  part  of  the  legislature,  many 
passengers  between  Baltimore  and  Washington,  and  Baltimore  and  points 


366  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

south  of  Washington,  and  also  a  considerable  number  who  were  desirous 
of  attending  public  celebrations  of  various  kinds,  have  been  prevented  from 
using  the  railroad,  to  the  serious  injury  of  the  interest  of  the  State  and  of 
the  company. 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  legislatures,  measures  were  taken  by  parties 
more  immediately  interested  in  the  success  of  some  of  the  southern  railroad 
companies,  to  establish  an  opposition  between  Baltimore  and  Washington, 
which  has  already  diverted  a  considerable  number  of  passengers  from  the 
Washington  road. 

On  the  15th  of  June  last,  two  lines  of  stages  commenced  running  for  the 
conveyance  of  passengers  between  Baltimore  and  Washington  and  interme* 
diate  places.  On  the  25th  of  August,  another  line  was  added,  and  since 
that  day  three  lines  have  been  running  in  each  direction  daily,  by  which 
passengers  are  conveyed  from  one  city  to  the  other,  and  taken  up  and  set 
down  at  any  place  in  either,  at  the  charge  of  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  eacL 

By  the  annual  report  of  the  Richmond,  Fredericksburg  and  Potomac 
railroad  company,  dated  27th  May  last,  it  would  appear  that  these  lines 
have  been  established  under  the  auspices  of  that  company. 

In  that  report  it  is  stated : 

"  Large  as  this  increase  is  the  board  of  directors  have  no  doubt  it  would 
have  been  materially  larger,  but  for  the  high  charges  on  the  southern  tra- 
vel, imposed  by  the  State  of  Maryland,  and  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad 
company  on  the  Baltimore  and  Washington  railroad.  /r 

"  The  excessive  rate  charged  on  the  through  travel  on  this  work,  has  tend- 
ed to  retain  on  the  bay,  and  to  throw  into  coasting  vessels,  or  divert  over 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  to  the  Ohio  river,  a  considerable  amount 
of  travel  which  would  otherwise  have  been  secured  to  the  line  of  railroad 
and  steamboat  communication  through  Virginia. 

"  The  presidents  of  the  Virginia  railroad  companies  having  for  years  re- 
monstrated with  the  directors  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company, 
and  lately  appealed  to  the  governor  and  legislature  of  Maryland  unsuccess 
fully,  on  the  unfairness  of  exacting  an  undue  proportion  of  the  charge  which 
could  be  judiciously  made  on  through  passengers,  the  attention  of  the  board  , 
of  directors  has  lately  been  directed  to  other  means  of  preventing  for  the  fu- ' 
ture  the  injury  which  has  hitherto  resulted  to  them  from  this  cause,  and 
they  are  sanguine,  that  by  means  of  an  efficient  line  of  stages,  which  will 
be  placed  about  the  15th  proximo,  on  the  Baltimore  und  Washington  turn- 
pike, and  which  in  connection  with  the  railroad  and  steamboat  companies 
will  convey  passengers  between  Baltimore  and  Richmond,  and  points  south 
of  Richmond,  at  much  lower  rates  than  heretofore,  they  will  be  able  to  re- 
cover a  large  portion  of  the  travel  which  has  hitherto  been  diverted  from 
their  route  by  the  charge  on  the  Baltimore  and  Washington  railroad. 

"  Should  their  expectations  in  this  respect  be  realixed  they  will  be  enabled 
to  protect  themselves  against  the  competition  of  other  routes,  at  the  same 
time  that  they  will  prevent  the  reduction  in  their  charge,  (which  will  be 
confined  to  passengers  takin|f  the  stage  line,)  from  benefitting  the  Baltimore 
and  Washington  railroad,  and  thereby  tending  to  keep  up  the  exce.<5sive 
charge  which  has  hitherto  been  levied  on  through  travel  on  that  work. 

"  Should  the  legislature  of  Virginia  co-operate,  as  the  board  of  directors 
can  scarcely  doubt  they  will,  by  refusing  a  right  of  way,  or  any  other  pri- 
vileges to  the  Bahimore  and  Ohio  railroad  company,  until  they  shall  have 
redressed  the  grievance  of  which  the  State  of  Virginia,  and  the  Virginia 
railroad  companies  have  so  much  reason  to  complain — the  board  of  direct- 
ors entertain  no  doubt  it  will  be  ere  long  corrected.",      .„^  ,^„  ,.„^,^:4*^. 


i-,-  »-..r. 


Baltimore  and  Okio  Railroad.  367 

It  is  understood  from  other  sources,  although  not  official,  that  the  Rich- 
mond, Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  railroad  company,  has  contracted  to  pay 
the  stage  proprietors  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  upon  each  through  passen- 
ger carried  by  the  stages  between  Washington  and  Baltimore,  in  either  di- 
rection, in  connection  with  the  lines  south  of  Washington ;  and  has  also 
stipulated  to  pay  the  stage  proprietors  five  thousand  dollars,  if  the  stages  are 
withdrawn  from  the  route  at  the  compimy's  instance.  ~  •  ?  •. 

From  these  documents  it  is  obvious  that  the  stages  have  been  established 
in  competition  with  the  railroad,  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  coercing,  not  the 
railroad  company,  for  it  has  no  power  to  act  in  the  premises,  but,  the  au- 
thorities of  Maryland  to  engage  in  a  rivalry  between  different  works  in  ano- 
ther State ;  in  behalf  of  enterprises  comparatively  of  recent  origin,  and  un- 
dertaken with  a  full  knowledge  of  the  declared  policy  of  the  State,  and  of 
the  positive  provisions  of  the  law  which  it  is  now  sought  to  change. 

It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  the  Washington  road  is  a  Baltimore  enterprize, 
designed  to  connect  that  city  with  the  metropolis  of  the  Union,  and  to  be 
supported  b/the  travel  to  the  seat  of  the  federal  government  from  the  north, 
east  and  west,  and  from  Maryland  and  her  capitoL 

As  a  thoroughfare  of  southern  travel,  at  the  date  of  the  charter,  the  work 
was  scarcely  thought  of,  for  at  that  time  none  of  the  present  Virginia  rail- 
ways, forming  its  southern  extension,  were  projected:  and  at  this  day,  near- 
ly fourteen  years  after  the  origin  of  the  work,  the  local  or  Washington  tra- 
vel is  the  primary,  and  the  through  or  southern  travel  the  secondary,  in  the 
most  ample  sense  of  the  terms. 

It  is  evident  from  the  report  already  quoted,  that  it  is  no  part  of  the  ob- 
ject of  the  southern  companies  to  reduce  the  charge  upon  the  Washington 
railroad,  in  favor  of  the  public  generally :  on  the  contrary,  they  expressly 
propose  that  the  reduction  should  be  made  in  favor  of  "  through  passen- 
gers" only,  or  those  travelling  in  connection  with  the  southern  lines ;  and 
that,  this  object  being  attained,  they  would  be  content  with  even  a  higher 
charge  upon  passengers  travelling  between  Washington  and  Baltimore  or 
intermediate  points :  a  system  which,  it  is  understood,  the  Fredericksburg, 
Richmond  and  Potomac  company  has  adopted  upon  its  own  road. 

If  the  terms  of  the  contract  already  referred  to,  be  correctly  reported,  in 
the  prosecution  of  their  designs  and  as  indispensable  to  their  success,  '<  the 
Richmond,  Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  compan]^"  does  not  in  fact  derive 
any  greater  proportion  of  the  charge  for  passengers  passing  over  their  line, 
than  if  conveyed  by  the  railroad,  at  the  established  charge  ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, consents  to  sacrifice,  or  give  to  the  owners  of  the  stages  a  bonus  of 
one  dollar  upon  each  passenger  carried  in  the  stages,  in  connection  with 
the  southern  lines ;  and  also  to  incur  a  penalty  of  five  thousand  dollars  when- 
ever it  may  determine  to  discontinue  the  cumpulsory  means  at  present  em- 
ployed. 

independently  of  this  sacrifice,  it  may  be  well  expected  that  the  southern 
company  will  ultimately  suffer  greater  injury  from  these  proceedings,  than 
can  now  be  foreseen. 

It  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  substitution,  in  connection  with 
its  route  of  forty  miles  of  stages,  instead  of  an  easy  and  comfortable  railroad, 
will  increase  the  advantages  already  complained  of  in  favor  of  the  bay  ri- 
val :  and  the  consequences  most  to  be  apprehended  from  this  novel  scheme 
will  be  the  diversion  of  a  greater  amount  of  travel  from  the  inland  to  the 
bay  route,  and  of  the  local  travel  between  the  cities  of  Washington  and  Bal- 
timore from  the  railroad  to  the  stages ;  such  ia  £sict,  it  is  believed,  is  the  re- 
sult up  to  this  time.  ^i 


368  i»ii^*ri  Communication,     w^t^w 

It  is  obvious,  however,  that  whether  the  passengers  be  diverted  to  the  bay 
line  or  to  the  stages,  the  injurious  effect  upon  the  business  of  the  Washing- 
ton railroad,  will  be  the  same. 

The  number  of  passengers  conveyed  by  the  lines  of  stages  the  entire  dis- 
tance between  Baltimore  and  Washington  in  both  directions,  from  the  15th 
of  June  to  the  30th  of  SepLember  inclusive,  was  3419,  and  in  addition  889 
passengers  with  throu^rh  tickets  to  and  from  points  south  of  Washington, 
making  an  aggregate  of  4308. 

During  the  same  period  the  number  of  passengers  transported  in  the 
trains  from  Baltimore  to  Washington  at  the  established  rates  of  the  road 
was  5676,  and  from  Washington  to  Baltimore  7486,  and  in  addition  2742 
passengers  with  through  tickets  to  and  from  points  south  of  Washington. 

On  the  8th  of  July  last,  pursuant  to  the  authority  conferred  by  the  7th 
section  of  the  act  of  1836,  ch.  261,  the  b»ard  of  directors  of  this  company 
reduced  the  charge  to  passengers  on  the  railroad  between  the  cities  of  Wash- 
ington and  Baltimore,  going  and  returning  the  same  day,  to  the  sum  of  two 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  ior  the  round  trip  ;  and  at  the  meeting  on  the  4th  of 
September,  they  established  the  same  rate  of  charge  for  similar  travel  from 
all  intermediate  points. 

Within  this  period  the  number  of  passengers  transported  over  the  railroad 
with  tickets  for  the  round  trip,  at  the  reduced  rates,  has  amounted  to  2322, 

It  will  be  obvious,  however,  from  an  examination  of  the  facts  and  state- 
ments now  communicated  that,  unless  the  stages  be  withdrawn  altoge- 
ther a  reduction  of  the  railroad  charges  upon  "through  passengers"  only, 
or  those  to  and  from  points  south  of  Washington,  according  to  the  views  of 
the  southern  companies,  would  not  prevent  the  competition,  but  that  it  would 
be  necessary  to  reduce  the  charge  at  the  same  time  upon  all  passengers, 
passing  over  the  railroad. 

By  two  several  communications  from  the  president  of  the  company,  dated 
the  4th  of  September,  and  the  4th  instant,  the  governor  was  made  acquaint- 
ed in  detail  with  all  the  facts  herein  stated,  and  to  which,  up  to  this  time, 
no  answer  has  been  received. 

By  these  communications  the  duty  of  the  board  has  been  fully  discharged ; 
since  having  no  power  of  themselves  to  act  further  in  the  .premises,  the 
subject,  in  the  recess  of  the  legislature,  can  only  be  submitted  to  the  govern- 
or to  be  dealt  with  as"  he  may  deem  most  expedient.  -v 


To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Railroad  Journal  and  Mechanics'  Magazine. 

Sir: — Although  I  am  not  the  proprietor  of  a  single  share  of  any  rail- 
road, canal  or  steamboat  company,  I  am  not  an  indifferent  observer  of  the 
improvement  and  prosperity  of  these  several  institutions  of  wealth  and  in 
dustry  ;  and  to  the  fullest  extent  they  can  be  made  subservient  to  the  public- 
welfare,  I  wish  them  a  hearty  God-speed.  And  as  a  particularly  satisfacto- 
ry indication  of  their  growing  interest  in  the  public  mind,  I  have  noticed 
the  proposal  you  make  to  enlarge  the  pages  and  contents  of  your  Journal, 
a  work  which  I  esteem  as  among  the  most  honorable  and  useful  to  the  pre- 
sent and  coming  generations,  that  emanate  from  our  national  press, 
. ;  ,A?  I  have  not  the  entire  series  of  your  Journal,  (as  I  hope  by  and  by  to 
possess,)  I  may  be  mistaken  in  the  impression,  that  neither  in  its  pages,  nor 
elsewhere,  does  there  exist  anything  like  a  comprehensive  table  of  the  sta« 
tiatics  of  the  different  railroads  in  our  country,  such  as  would  be  almost  in- 


New  York  and  Erie  Railroad.  369 

valuable  to  the  engineer,  the  broker,  the  political  essayist,  and  to  the  states- 
man, in  both  State  and  National  legislatures.  At  the  patent  office  in  Wash- 
ington 1  was  both  astonished  and  ashamed  of  the  niggardly  provision  which 
exists  even  in  the  library  of  that  great  national  department  not  merely  of 
government,  but  of  national  inventive  genius.  A  few  only  of  the  latest 
parts  of  your  Journal  are  to  be  found  there,  and  scarcely  an  entire  series  of 
any  other  scientific  and  statistical  publication  of  our  country!  For  one,  I 
trust  another  session  of  congress  will  not  expire,  without  placing  an  entire 
series  of  your  Journal  and  a  complete  one  of  every  other  practical  periodi- 

:  cal  connected  with  the  arts  and  public  improvements,  whether  published 
in  our  own  country  or    in  Europe,  upon  the  book  shelves  of  the  patent 

.      office.  ■-v^::m^^:,:^:'^\i^_ 

i.  But  in  respect  to  your  Journal,  I  think  another  suggestion  is  due.  It  is 
a  publication  that  is  sui  generis  in  this  country,  devoted  exclusively  to  the 

t.  great  spirit  and  the  great  works  of  enterprize  and  internal  improvements  in 

our  land  ;  and  it  ought  to  be  in  the  hand  of  every  agent,  engineer,  contrac- 
tor and  director  upon  these  works.  If  any  man  of  responsible  trust  con- 
nected with  any  of  our  roads  is  not  your  patron  I  should  esteem  him  too  far 
behind  the  age,  or  too  decidedly  wanting  in  spirit  and  ambition  in  his  pur- 
suit, to  merit  his  station.     The  public  safety — the  whole  travelling  public 

■;%,''     are  interested  in  the  wide  diffusion  of  practical  and  professional  knowledge 
respecting  railroads  and  especially  the  diffusion  of  it  among  all  persons  of- 

-  ficially  connected  with  their  care  and  management.     It  carries  in  it  both 

the  preventives  and  the  remedies  of  accidents  and  cheapens  though  silently 
and  unseen,  the  whole  system  of  transportation,  while  it  elevates  the  stand- 
ard of  employment  and  gives  new  character  to  the  entire  business  of  the 
operative. 

But  I  have  elaborated  into  an  article  what  I  only  started  to  make  into  a 
congratulatory  letter.  Whoever  begins  to  think  on  the  utility  of  your 
Journal,  cannot  well  avoid  wishing  it  in  the  hands  of  every  man  connected 
with  the  construction  and  management  of  railroads,  steamboats  and  canals 
in  our  country.  Such  at  least  is  the  sincere  feeling  of  your  friend  and 
obedient  servant  and  constant  reader,  Francis  O.  J.  Smith.  ^^ 

Forest  House,  Westbrook   Jtfe.,  Nov.lS,  1844.      .^  ,,,  | 

Report  of  the  directors  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  company  to 
the  stockholders,  17th  October,  1844. 
'.  The  directors  of  the  N.  Y.  and  E.  railroad  company  believing  that  they 

have  as  far  as  has  been  in  their  power,  carried  into  execution  the  views  set 
forth  in  their  acceptance  of  office,  feel  themselves  called  on,  as  well  in  re- 
»  ■  ference  to  the  maimer  in  which  they  have  fulfilled  the  trust  reposed  in  them 
as  to  the  results  which  have  attended  their  measures,  to  submit  at  the  close 
of  their  term  of  office  a  brief  summary  of  their  proceedings. 

It  will  be  recollected  by  the  stockholders,  that  the  critical  situation  of 
V ;      the  company,  prior  to  the  election  of  1843,  had  induced  them  to  place  the 
control  of  that  election  in  the  hands  of  a  few  gentlemen  possessing  the  con- 
fidence alike  of  the  community  and  the  stockholders.    It  was  represented 


/ 


370  ■    New  York  and  Erie  Railroad. 

that  the  main  object  of  the  measure  was  to  ascertain  whether  the  embarrass- 
ments of  the  companty  could  be  so  far  relieved  as  to  enable  an  entirely  new 
direction  to  submit  again  to  the  city  and  country,  the  question  of  the  com- 
pletion of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  freed  if  possible  from  all  other 
considerations  than  those  of  the  value  of  work  done,  probable  cost  of  com- 
pletion, the  degree  of  its  importance  to  the  city  and  country,  and  the  facta 
which  would  determine  the  extent  of  its  pecuniary  returns. 

The  consideration  that  a  work  of  such  vast  importance  and  promise, 
might  through  their  instrumentality  be  again  placed  in  a  position  to  be  suc- 
cessfully prosecuted  to  completion,  induced  the  individuals  subsequently 
elected  directors  to  consent  to  aid  in  the  proposed  effort  to  carry  these  views 
iato  execution. 

I  For  a  statement  of  the  manner  in  which  the  board  undertook  their  re- 
sponsible and  difficult  duties,  and  of  the  measures  which  were  adopted  to 
effect  the  ends  in  view,  the  stockholders  are  referred  to  the  report  addressed 
to  the  public  and  published  Feb.  8th,  1843,  a  copy  of  which  has  probably 
reached  every  stockholder. 

The  board  then  refer  to  the  failure  of  their  various  appeals  to  the  public 
and  to  a  new  plan  suggested  which  met  with  rather  more  favor. 

The  paper  prepared  on  this  occasion  is  annexed  to  this  report.  Its  main 
features  were,  that  200  persons  should  undertake  to  furnish  the  capital  re- 
quired of  $6,000,000,  on  condition  that  priority  of  dividend  at  7  per  cent, 
per  annum,  be  secured  to  the  holders  of  the  new  stock,  and  that  14  per  cent 
per  annum  should  be  the  interest  to  be  paid  by  the  State,  in  case  the  Stale 
should  elect  to  purchase  the  road  on  its  completion. 

A  larger  amount  has  been  subscribed  on  this  basis,  than  on  any  other, 
but  the  subscription  has  not  reached  a  sum  that  will  justify  the  hope  that  by 
its  means  the  capital  can  be  raised. 

It  is  with  extreme  pain  that  the  board  find  themselves  under  the  necessi- 
ty of  presenting  this  discouraging  statement,  but  they  feel  that  without  it,  no 
proper  estimate  can  be  formed  of  their  proceedings,  nor  a  correct  idea  be 
given  of  the  present  situation  of  the  company. 

Disappointed  in  the  result  of  their  measures  for  obtaining  capital  by  pri- 
vate subscription  to  the  stock  of  the  company,  the  attention  of  the  board  was 
next  directed  to  the  resources  supposed  to  be  placed  at  their  command,  by 
the  act  of  1843.  By  that  act  the  right  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $3,- 
000,000,  was  to  be  waived  for  that  object.  By  means  of  the  bonds  so  au- 
thorized, it  was  proposed  to  raise  $500,000  for  the  purpose  of  extending  the 
road  to  Port  Jarvis,  a  distance  of  about  20  miles  from  the  present  termina- 
tion. It  was  ascertained  that  the  money  could  probably  be  raised  in  the 
manner  proposed,  if  the  act  would  make  the  security  offered  good.  That 
the  character  of  the  security  might  be  satisfactorily  established  the  question 
was  submitted  to  legal  counsel,  from  whom  the  opinion  was  received  that 
the  waiver  of  the  State  lien  was  made  dependent  on  the  completion  of  the 
road  in  seven  years  from  the  date  of  the  act,  and  that  so  far  as  that  event 
was  uncertain,  there  would  be  a  corresponding  risk  to  the  bond  holders.  In 
view  of  this  opinion,  it  was  evident  that  the  bonds  could  not  be  sold,  and  the 
measure  was  therefore  abandoned. 

The  stockholders  will  learn  from  what  has  been  herein  stated,  that  the- 
tuoard  under  existing  circumstances  referring  especially  to  the  lien  which 
the  Stale  has  on  the  entire  property  of  the  company,  have  no  resource  on 
which  they  can  rely  as  the  means  of  insuring  the  construction  of  the  road, 
«nd  complying  with  the  stipulations  of  the  act  to  the  completion  of  certain 


.  I 


>  New  York  and  JSrie  BaMroad. 

portions  in  assigned  periods.  Attention  is  called  to  this  position,  that  if  it 
be  found  to  be  correct,  those  who  are  hereafter  intrusted  with  the  manage- 
ment of  the  interests  of  the  company,  may  at  an  early  day  take  the  measures 
which  it  renders  necessary. 

The  board  are  of  opinion,  that  unless  the  State  will  agree  so  to  amend 
the  act,  as  to  allow  the  property  of  the  company  to  be  pledged  as  security 
for  the  expenditure  of  new  capital  on  the  extension  of  the  road  from  place 
to  place  as  circumstances  permit,  there  is  little  reason  to  believe  that  any 
efficient  measures  can  be  taken  at  present  for  the  extension  and  ultimate 
:    ,     completion  of  the  road.  1 

On  reviewing  the  measures  of  which  a  brief  summary  has  now  been  pre- 
sented, the  board  are  aware,  that  views  may  be  entertained  by  some  of  the 
earnest  friends  of  the  road  which  are  entirely  opposed  to  the  position  taken 
by  the  board,  that  the  work  should  not  be  resumed  on  private  subscripticm, 
unless  the  means  of  its  completion  were  fully  provided.  They  are  aware 
that  it  may  be  contended  that  with  a  subscription  of  one  or  two  millions  the 
road  could  have  been  so  far  carried  forward,  that  its  completion  would  have 
,  been  secured,  almost  as  soon  as  by  a  full  subscription  at  this  time. 

It  has  been  already  stated  that  the  board  believe  that  a  sum  sufficiently 
large  to  make  it  judicious  to  commence  the  work  at  all  could  not  have  been 
obtained  on  the  principle  alluded  to. 

The  board  would  now  add  that  their  confidence  that  remunerating  divK 
dends  would  be  paid  to  persons  subscribing  to  the  stock,  rested  solely  on 
the  completion  of  the  railroad  to  lake  Erie,  and  that  therefore  they  could 
V  not  consistently  with  their  view  of  responsibility  to  subscribers  to  the  stock, 
ask  for  their  subscriptions  on  a  principle  that  left  that  event  in  great  uncer- 
tainty. The  contingency  may  not  be  very  great,  and  by  some  may  even 
be  considered  small,  but  it  has  been  deemed  by  the  board  of  sufficient  mag- 
nitude to  involve  a  responsibility  which  they  do  not  feel  themselves  called 
on  to  assume. 

The  board  are  gratified  on  being  able  to  report  on  the  present  financial 
position  of  the  company,  and  the  amount  of  business  done  on  the  road,  in 
highly  encouraging  language.  The  report  of  February  presented  the  situ- 
ation of  the  aflairs  of  the  company  at  the  time  the  present  directors  came 
into  office.  The  property  of  the  compemy  was  in  the  hands  of  assignees, 
-  and  so  entirely  without  resources  did  the  directors  find  the  company,  that 
the  funds  required  to  meet  the  ordinary  office  expenses,  and  to  carry  into  ef- 
fect the  measures  proposed  to  remove  the  embarrassments  under  which  the 
company  was  lying  prostrate,  were  only  obtained  through  gratuitous  sub- 
scriptions  of  a  few  friends  of  the  road.  The  amount  so  obtained  and  which 
has  enabled  the  board  so  raaterialy  to  improve  the  financial  condition  of  the 
company,  it  has  given  the  board  great  satisfaction  to  be  able  to  state  that 
they  are  now  in  a  condition  to  repay,  with  thanks  in  the  name  of  the  com- 
pany, for  the  aid  so  timely  rendered.  r 

The  measures  which  are  described  in  the  report  of  February,  1843,  ai 
being  in  progress,  have  since  that  time  been  continued  and  mainly  with  the 
success  anticipated. 

The  embarrassments  growing  out  of  the  indebtedness  have  at  times 
threatened  the  interruption  of  the  operations  on  the  road,  without  the  aid  of 
•'  which  the  claims  against  the  company  would  be  of  but  little  value.  But 
(he  representatives  of  the  officers  of  the  company  have  been  successful  in 
.  *  effecting  arrangements  which  the  interests  of  the  company  and  the  creditors 
equally  required. 
-+^  On  the  2d  April,  1844,  the  board  of  directors  adopted  a  resolution  call- 


372  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad, 

^  ing  for  an  instalment  to  be  paid  on  or  before  the  20th  May  last,  of  five  dol- 

lars a  share  on  all  stock  of  the  company,  whereon  payment  already  made 
did  not  exceed  fifteen  dollars  per  share,  under  the  penalty  of  forfeiture  of 
said  stock,  and  of  all  previous  payments  thereon,  as  provided  in  the  charter 
of  the  company.  In  default  of  compliance  with  such  call,  4,290  shares 
were  forfeited,  upon  which  payments  had  been  made  of  $48,296.90. 

bi  the  report  of  Feb.  1844,  the  net  revenue  of  the  50  miles  in  use  was 
stated  at  ^6,000,  and  that  sum  was  taken  as  the  basis  of  calculation  in  de- 
ducing an  estimate  of  the  probable  revenue  of  the  entire  road  from  the  actual 
returns  of  the  road  in  operation. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  report,  such  has  been  the  increase  of  business, 
that,  with  a  very  inadequate  equipment  of  cars  and  engines,  the  net  earnings 
of  the  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1844,  has  exceeded  858,000,  being  25  per  cent.  : 
more  than  the  sum  stated  above. 

The  following  have  been  the  net  earnings  for  the  last  three  years,  and 
will  be  seen  to  present  a  very  encouraging  rate  of  increase. 

Net  earnings  of  the  railroad  for  the  year  ending  Sept.  30th  1842,  -  $31,224 

««  "  "  "      1843,      -  -      43,815 

«  "  "  "       1844^  -  58,678 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  that  the  charges  for  freight  and  passengers  on 
the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad,  are  less  than  other  railroads  in  the  coun- 
try, probably  without  exception. 

The  members  of  the  present  board  came  into  office  possessing  a  very 
limited  knowledge  of  the  merits  of  the  project,  of  connecting  the  city  of  New 
York  with  lake  Erie  by  a  railroad.  Their  duties  subsequently,  have 
made  them  better  acquainted  with  the  grounds  on  which  it  is  maintained 
that  its  completion  will  be  attended  by  resuhs  in  the  highest  degree  import-  - 
>  ant  to  the  city  and  country.     The  board  would  again  record  what  on  seve- 

ral occasions  they  have  already  expressed,  their  full  confidence  in  the  sound- 
ness of  such  views. 

This  report  is  signed  by  Horatio  Allen,  president,  James  Brown,  vice 
president,  and  D.  A.  Cushman,  C.  M.  Leupp,  F.  W.  Edmonds,  S.  Brown, 
Theodore  Dehon,  P.  Spofibrd,  Anson  G.  Phelps,  Matthew  Morgan,  John 
C.  Green,  A.  S.  Diven,  Wm.  Maxwell,  Elijah  Risley,  directors. 

At  the  annual  election  held  on  the  23d  of  October,  1844,  the  following 
gentlemen  were  elected  directors  for  the  ensuing  year,  viz:  George  Gris- 
^  wold,  Jacob  Little,  John   C.  Green,  James  Harper,  Eleazor  Lord,  Paul 

Spofibrd,  Stewart  C.  Marsh,  Henry  L.  Pierson,  Henry  Shelden,  C.  M. 
Leupp,  J.  W.  Alsop,  Silas  Brown,  Robert  L.  Crooke,  (and  Sidney  Brooks, 
who  has  since  declined)  of  this  city,  and  D.  S.  Dickinson  of  Broome  Coun- 
ty, A.  S.  Diven  of  Allegany  and  Elijah  Risley  of  Chatauque.  At  an  early 
meeting  of  the  board,  the  following  address  was  ordered. 
J  Address. — It  may  be  expected  that  this  board  should  express  to  the  pub- 

lic their  views  of  the  undertaking,  the  progress  of  which  is  the  object  of  ' 
their  appointment. 

Happily  the  merits  of  this  undertaking  are  universally  acknowledged. 
The  lapse  of  time  has  but  rendered  them  more  evident  and  unquestionable  : 
and  the  importance,  not  to  say  the  necessity  of  the  work  to  this  metropolis, 
has  come  to  be  very  generally  felt.  But  in  common  with  many  other  pub- 
lic works,  including  those  of  this  State,  its  progress  has  been  suspended,  and 
the  plans  and  measures  heretofore  proposed  for  obtaining  funds  for  its  com- 
pletion have  failed  of  success. 
*  ,.     There  is,  nevertheless,  in  the  community,  not  only  a  prevalent  feeling  in 


Nev}  York  and  Erie  Rofilroad.  373 

^vor  of  this  worlf,  but  a  belief  that  it  may  be,  ought  to  be  and  will  be  com- 
pleted — ^that  further  delay  is  neither  necessary  nor  expedient — and  that  a 
practicable  plan  for  its  resumption  and  accomplishment  may  be  proposed, 
and  would  be  promptly  supported. 

Much  ot  the  doubt  and  discouragement  which  has  heretofore  prevailed 
has  afrisen  from  want  of  information  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  favor- 
ably disposed  towa!rds  it ;  but  more,  by  far,  from  the  opposition  and  misrep- 
resentations of  parties  interested  to  defeat  it,  and  from  individuals  who  were 
disappointed  of  success  in  their  private  schemes.  The  object  of  this  oppo- 
sition was  to  destroy  confidence  and  defeat  the  undertaking.  It  proceeded 
from  hostility  to  the  work  itself,  which  was  viewed  as  in  conflict  with  cer- 
tain local  interests,  and  as  prospectively  in  rivalship  with  the  more  northern 
route  to  the  lakes,  which  had  been  rendered  populous  and  powerful  by  a 
munificent  outlay  of  the  public  funds.  * 

The  efl^ect  of  the  misrepresentations  so  long  and  so  industriously  propa- 
gated, aided  as  they  were  by  the  embarrassments  attending  and  following 
the  suspension  of  the  work,  has  been  to  induce  extensively  an  impression 
that  there  must  be  some  great  difficulty,  some  formidable  obstacle,  deeply 
seated  in  the  scheme  itself^  or  in  the  manner  in  which  its  affairs  have  been 
conducted.  The  failure  of  the  company  to  obtain  the  means  necejisary  to  a 
resumption  of  the  work,  appears  to  have  strengthened  this  injurious  and  un- 
founded impression.  Some  elucidation  of  this  subject  seems  therefore  to  be 
called  for  on  the  present  occasion.  ;  J 

The  hostile  misrepresentations  referred  to,  had  respect  chiefly  to  the 
prices  paid  by  the  company  for  labor  and  materials ;  which  were  alledged 
to  be  exhorbitantly  high.  Confidence  was  in  this  manner  impaired  and  a 
door  opened  to  every  species  of  injurious  imputation.  >. 

The  facility  with  which  misrepresentation  and  prejudice  on  this  subject 
were  propagated,  was  greatly  augmented  by  the  disastrous  state  of  the  times, 
and  by  the  madness  which  seized  the  minds  of  a  portion  of  the  people,  who 
from  being  the  friends  and  promoters,  proclaimed  themselves  to  be  opposed 
to  the  construction  of  public  works,  whether  by  corporations  or  by  legisla- 
tive authority,  and  seemed  to  exult  in  the  suspension  and  ruin  of  every  such 
undertaking. 

Successive  legislatures,  however,  understanding  the  state  of  fiicts  in  re- 
gard to  the  proceedings  of  this  company,  far  better  than  the  public  did,  have 
passed  laws  of  the  most  favorable  character  at  nearly  every  session  for  the 
last  twelve  years  ;  not  indeed  without  the  boldest  exhibition  on  the  part  of 
some,  of  the  hostility  which  has  been  referred  to,  but  generally,  neverthe- 
less, by  strong  majorities.  In  short,  the  undertaking  and  its  managers,  ap- 
pear to  have  had  the  confidence  of  the  stockholders,  of  a  majority  of  the  le- 
gislature, and  of  that  portion  of  the  pubUc  generally,  who  desired  the  coiq- 
pletion  of  the  work.  -f 

It  therefore  seems  to  the  board  to  be  due  to  the  character  of  the  undertak- 
ing, to  say,  emphatically,  to  those  who  may  be  disposed  to  promote  it,  that 
the  difficulty  in  the  case  is  not  internal — that  it  results  not  from  anything 
in  tho  actual  condition  or  proceedings  of  the  company,  but  from  hostile  mis- 
representations and  false  impressions  to  which  it  has  been  subjected-  Were 
this  difficulty  of  a  nature  to  be  overcome  by  testimony,  by  the  results  of  im- 
partial investigation,  or  by  the  opinions  of  disinterested  or  candid  men, 
enough  would  seem  to  have  been  done  in  that  way  to  eflfect  the  object ;  or 
on  the  contrary,  enough  to  show  conclusively,  that  while  the  ruin  of  the 
undertaking  continues  to  be  considered  possible,  opposition  to  it  and  to  all 
attempts  to  resume  and  carry  it  forward,  is  to  be  looked  for  from  the  same 


374  New  York  arid  Erie  Railroad.  '  ' 

source  and  for  the  same  purpose  as  heretofore.  It  can  be  encountered  and 
surmounted,  not  by  timidity,  inaction,  and  delay,  but  only  by  earnest  and 
successful  action  on  some  feasible  plan. 

If  therefore  the  city  needs  and  desires  the  completion  of  this  work,  a  time- 
ly and  resolute  effort  to  sustain  and  provide  for  it  is  imperatively  called  for ; 
and  to  such  effort,  with  a  right  apprehension  of  the  case,  and  a  practicable 
plan,  there  is  no  obstacle,  but  every  encouragement.  The  public  need  no 
further  evidence  to  show  that  the  undertaking  is  well  founded,  that  its  exe- 
cution is  of  the  highest  importance  to  this  city,  or  that  it  will,  when  com- 
pleted, yield  satisfactory  returns  to  its  proprietors.  The  city  and  the  whole 
country  are  satisfied  in  these  respects.  It  remains  only  to  propose  and  pro- 
secute a  plan,  which  those  who  desire  its  completion  will  not  deem  im- 
practicable. There  is  nothing  in  its  condition,  its  history  or  its  prospects 
to  discourage  or  impair  the  value  of  new  subscriptions  to  the  stock.  On 
the  contrary  if  stock  in  such  a  work  could  in  any  case  be  deemed  desirable 
or  unobjectionable  to  the  citizens  of  this  city,  new  subscriptions  to  this  are 
recommended  by  two  unusual  and  valuable  considerations :  namely,  first 
that  the  time  necessary  for  completing  the  road  is  brief,  compared  with  that 
which  would  be  required,  were  the  work  now  to  be  originally  commenced ; 
and  second,  that  by  the  law  of  April  1843,  the  company  are  entitled  to  the 
State  loan  of  three  millions  as  a  bonus,  or  a  return  of  the  monies  paid  by 
them,  with  legal  interest,  on  condition  of  their  accomplishing  the  construc- 
tion of  a  single  track  of  the  road  within  seven  years  from  the  passage  of 
that  law. 

It  should  be  known,  however,  that  by  this  law,  two  years  only  were  al- 
lowed for  the  company  to  resume  the  work.  The  period  thus  limited,  will 
expire  in  the  month  of  April  next,  and  all  the  benefits  of  the  law  will  then 
be  forfeited  should  the  company  fail  to  obtain  funds  and  resume  the  work 
before  that  date.  « 

In  the  same  most  encouraging  and  valuable  act  of  the  legislature,  provi- 
sion was  made  expressly,  to  supersede  the  necessrity  of  any  very  formidable 
amount  of  new  subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock.  The  company  was  au- 
thorized to  issue 'bonds  for  three  millions  of  dollars,  being  half  the  amount 
required  to  complete  the  work,  which  were  constituted  a  lien  upon  the  road, 
in  preference  to  that  of  the  State. 

*  With  respect  to  that  law,  no  renewal  of  its  provisions  can  be  hoped  for, 
should  the  company  fail  within  the  time  limited,  to  avail  itself  of  its  advan- 
tages, by  obtaining  funds  and  resuming  the  work.  Least  of  all,  is  any  mo- 
dification of  the  law  for  the  purpose  of  authorizing  an  issue  of  the  whole  or 
a  portion  of  such  bonds,  as  the  sole  reliance  for  the  means  of  extending  any 
section  of  the  road,  reasonably  or  with  any  confidence  to  be  looked  for, 
while  no  provision  is  made  by  new  subscriptions  for  carrying  out  the  entire 
undertaking.  The  object  and  intention  of  the  legislature  was  to  aid,  encour- 
age and  secure  the  completion  of  the  entire  work.  So  far  as  the  benefit  of 
the  law  was  intended  as  a  boon  to  the  southern  tier  of  counties,  it  was  in- 
tended for  all  of  them  ;  and  in  so  far  as  the  legislature  designed  In  this  way 
to  benefit  this  city,  they  undoubtedly  had  in  view  the  entire  work,  as  a  tho- 
roughfare of  commerce  with  the  lakes  and  regions  of  the  west.  And  if  with 
the  extraordinary  advantages  of  this  law,  in  a  period  of  commercial  prospe- 
rity like  the  present,  the  means  of  going  on  with  the  work  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  justify  confidence  of  early  and  entire  success  cannot  be  attained, 
what  rational  consideration  can  be  urged  to  justify  any  further  public  pat- 
ronage? If  the  importance  and  the  merits  of  the  work  will  not  draw  to  it 
the  requisite  support,  who  can  persuade  himself  that  there  is  any  ground  ot 


.  ^.-i;?^. 


*  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad.  876 

hope  in  the  future.  If  with  its  acknowledged  merits  and  importance  it  fails 
of  support  from  this  city,  who  can  bring  himself  to  believe  that  any  further 
encouragement  of  it  would  be  conceded  by  the  legislature,  or  could  with 
any  propriety  be  solicited. 

It  is  known  and  felt  by  the  friends  of  this  work  in  every  successive  legis- 
lature, that  its  benefits  are  to  centre  and  be  realized  chiefly  in  this  metropo- 
lis, the  interests  of  which  in  that  behalf  were  so  carefully  guarded  in  the 
charter,  by  the  provisions  which  confine  it  within  the  limits  of  the  State, 
and  contemplate  its  approaching  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson,  and  tra- 
versing the  whole  length  of  the  city.  They  are  also  aware,  that  as  y^ 
the  city  has  not  been  heavily  taxed  for  its  construction,  the  city  subscribers 
having  paid  less  than  $400,000 ;  a  sum  believed  to  be  considerably  inferior 
to  that  annually  saved  to  the  inhabitants,  by  the  reduction  in  price  of  a  sin- 
gle article  of  daily  consumption,  in  consequence  of  the  new  supplies  thrown 
upon  the  market  from  the  counties  through  which  the  road  is  in  operation 
— while  the  inhabitants  of  the  coimties  on  the  route  have  paid  an  aggregate 
approaching  $l,aOO,OOa  v~  -^ 

The  actual  outlay  upon  this  work,  including  the  value  of  donations  for 
roadway  and  other  purposes,  may  be  reasonably  estimated  at  five  millions 
of  dollars :  consisting  of  stock  of  the  company  somewhat  less  than  one  and 
a  half  millions  ;  debts,  chiefly  settled  by  obligations  at  five  years,  about  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars ;  and  three  millions  furnished  by  the  State. 

The  donations  of  land  furnished  for  the  roadway,  depots,  stations,  and 
other  purposes,  are  deemed  to  exceed  in  value  the  loss  incurred  on  the  sale 
of  State  stock,  and  the  damages  to  unfinished  work,  consequent  on  suspen- 
sion and  delay. 

Those  best  acquainted  with  the  subject,  with  the  amount  of  labor  and  ma- 
terials employed,  and  the  prices  paid,  deem  the  work  to  be  well  worth  all 
that  it  has  cost ;  and  are  of  opinion,  that  were  it  now  to  be  commenced,  ta- 
king into  view  the  unavoidable  loss  of  time  required  in  such  a  case,  a  greater 
amount  or  value  of  results  could  not  be  accomplished  for  a  less  sum. 

Much  more  than  Half  of  the  work  necessary  to  prepare  the  entire  line  of 
the  road  for  the  rails,  has  been  performed.  The  work  is  well  done.  No 
part  of  it  requires  to  be  altered.  The  plan  of  the  work  is  in  no  respect  in- 
ferior to  that  of  any  similar  undertaking,  and  is  believed  to  be  susceptible  of 
no  material  improvement.  The  track  is  six  feet  in  width,  in  which  respect 
it  is  deemed  to  be  more  advantageous  for  so  important  a  thorough&re,  than 
the  narrower  tracks  on  other  roads. 

Fifty -three  miles  of  the  road  on  the  eastern  division  are  in  prosperous  and 
profitable  operation.  On  the  Delaware,  east  of  Deposit,  between  30  and  40 
miles  are  graded.  Between  Binghamton  and  the  lake,  150  miles  are 
prepared  for  the  superstructure,  some  of  which  is  laid.  The  timber  for  the 
superstructure  is  provided  for  about  250  miles.  At  the  western  termination 
the  rails  are  laid  on  about  ten  miles. 

To  complete  the  entire  line  of  the  road  $6,000,000  is  deemed  necessary 
and  sufficient.  Towards  this  sum,  the  bonds  legally  authorized  are  an  eh- 
gible  and  safe  reliance  for  3,000,000.  From  a  variety  of  considerations  it 
is  believed  to  be  quite  safe  to  rely  upon  the  interior  counties  for  further  aid 
to  the  amount  of  1,000,000.  So  that  to  insure  the  immediate  progress  and 
early  accomplishment  of  the  entire  work  a  subscription  of  $2,000,000  only 
is  required.  With  such  a  subscription  the  board  would  have  no  hesitation 
in  proceeding  with  the  work  in  the  confidence  that  no  further  call  upon  the 
citizens  of  this  city  will  be  necessary.    > 

Believing  this  to  be  the  smallest  amount  that  would  give  the  stockholders 


376  '''New  York  and  Erie  Railroad, 

,  ■.■■    :.         ..'.■■     :  X.'.  ■ ::.  -...  •-.^^.■^.^; 

sufficient  confidence  of  success  to  render  their  subscriptions  safe  as  ah  in- 
vestment, and  that  subscriptions  to  this  amount  will  be  deemed  impracticable 
or  out  of  proportion  for  this  city,  it  is  proposed  to  give  notice  in  due  form 
within  a  few  days,  comprising  substantially  the  following  conditions,  viz:  v 

1.  That  books  of  subscription  to  the  capital  stock  will  be  opened  for  $2,- 
000,000  ;  the  option  being  reserved  by  the  board  of  accepting  such  further 
subscriptions  as  may  be  made  prior  to  the  1st  day  of  April,  1845.  '• 

2.  That  if  2,000,000,  and  no  further  sums  should  be  subscribed  by  that 
date,  the  board  will  rely  for  subscriptions  for  1,000,000  in  the  interior  coun- 
ties, so  as  to  make  art  aggregate  of  3,000,000,  which,  with  the  like  amount 
of  bonds,  as  authorized  by  the  legislature,  is  deemed  sufficient  to  complete 
the  road  from  the  Hudson  to  the  lake  in  such  time  and  manner  as  to  secure 
all  the  benefits  of  the  law  of  April,  1843.  - 

3.  That  an  instalment  of  $5  per  share  be  called  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
board  after  the  1st  day  of  January,  1845,  and  that  subsequent  instalments 
be  restricted  to  $20  per  share  in  1845 ;  $30  in  1846 :  and  $45  in  1847. 

4.  That  as  an  equitable,  and  under  existing  circumstances,  an  expedient 
measure,  interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent,  per  annum  be  allowed  on  all 
the  instalments  on  the  stock  which  shall  be  subscribed,  from  the  dates  of 
the  respectiee  payments  xmtil  the  whole  line  of  the  road  from  the  Hudson  to 
lake  Erie  shall  be  put  in  operation ;  and  that  the  same  be  liquidated  and 
paid  yearly  on  the  1st  day  of  January, 

This  address  is  signed  Eleazer  Lord,  president,  and  dated  31st  Oct.,  1844. 

It  will  be  remarked  that  the  late  board  do  not  regard  the  bonds  as  offer- 
ing a  reasonable  security ;  Mr.  Lord,  on  the  contrary,  pronounces  them 
"  an  eligible  and  safe  reliance."  Their  value  depends  on  the  probability  of 
the  completion  of  a  single  track  to  lake  Erie  within  four  years  from  this 
time ;  a  contingency  involving  "  a  responsibility  which  they  (the  late  board) 
do  not  feel  themselves  called  on  to  assume."    - 

The  above  extracts  will,  however,  sufficiently  explain  the  tone  of  the" 
two  reports.     They  differ  essentially,  we  might  even  say  they  have  few 
points  of  resemblance,  and  we  are  bound  to  confess  that  the  change  is  not  for 
the  better.     For  example,  what  is  the  use  of  declaring  war  against  "  the 
more  northern  route  to  the  lakes,"  and  exciting  the  hostility  of  the  central 
counties  from  Albany  to  Buffalo,  and  of  the  counties  on  the  eastern  bank  ot 
the  Hudson  ?     We  have  never  heard  it  hinteft  that  the  appeal  of  the  late 
board  to  the  public  last  spring,  failed  from  any  opposition  created  by  the 
friends  of  "  the  more  northern  route  to  the  lakes,"  and  we  doubt  whethei 
any  such  influence  will  be  exerted  against  the  present  address,  notwith 
standing  its — as  we  believe — unfair,  and  certainly  unfortunate  insinuations 
It  is  less  wounding  to  our  self-love  to  ascribe  our  failures  to  the  machina 
tions  of  rivals,  real  or  supposed,  than  to  our  own  incapacity.     The  present 
board,  that  is  the  acting  portion  of  the  directors,  have  long  controlled  the 
management  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad,  and  we  would  venture 
to  suggest  the  bare  possibility  that  some  part  of  their  present  difficulties  may 
te  owing  to  the  circumstance  that  their  past  course  has  not  been  quite  as  sa- 
tisfactory to  the  public,  and  especially  to  the  stockholders,  as  it  appears  ta 
have  been  to  themselves.     In  our  enlarged  sheet  we  will  endeavor  to  state 


Tables  of  Excavation  and  Embankment.  ^IP' 

clearly  and  fairly  the  obstacles  which  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  has 
to  surmount.  We  will  also  notice  certain  injurious  impressions  entertained 
by  large  portions  of  the  community,  which  we  shall  be  happy  to  aid  in  re- 
moving. 

We  take  a  different  view  of  the  work  from  either  the  present  or  the  late 
board.  We  place  its  claims  on  higher  ground  than  they  do.  and  shall  take 
an  early  opportunity  of  developing  our  views,  which  we  shall  endeavor  to 
do  in  such  a  manner  as  to  enable  those  opposed  to  us  fully  to  understand 
our  position,  and,  if  in  error,  to  point  out  where  we  are  wrong.  We  have 
uniformly  and  untiringly  advocated  the  cause  of  this  great  work,  as  our 
columns  for  the  last  ten  years  will  abundantly  show.  We  have  even  per- 
mitted our  zeal  to  influence  us  so  far  as  to  pass  by  without  animadversion 
proceedings  which  we  did  not  approve  of  This  we  shall  do  no  more,  con- 
vinced as  we  are  that  the  cause  of  railways  is  for^varded  as  much  by  the 
exposure  of  abuses  as  by  giving  publicity  to  improvements.  While  keep- 
ing a  watchful  eye  on  the  latter  as  usual,  we  shall  at  the  same  time  try  to 
steer  clear  of  the  censure  conveyed  in  the  motto  of  the  Edinburgh  Review. 
In  justice  to  ourselves  we  may  be  permitted  to  observe  that  a  monthly  jour- 
nal is  scarcely  a  proper  organ  for  such  discussions,  but  \vith  a  weekly  sheet 
we  shall  again  and  again  refer  to  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad,  and  we 
hope  not  without  effect.  -.,.,.-: 

s-rThe  proof  sheets  having  failed  to  reach  the  author  there  are  numerous 
errors  in  the  "  explanation"  of  the  Tables  of  Excavation  and  Embjmkraent, 
but  fortunately  the  tables  themselves  are  correct  We  regret  this  the  more 
as  we  had  taken  great  pains  to  follow  the  manuscript,  which  was  unfortu- 
nately incorrect,  and  the  proofs  having  failed  to  reach  their  destination  and 
of  course,  not  hearing  of  them,  we  supposed  that  all  was  right. 

Page  162  line  one  from  bottom,  for  (D— £?) 2-^,  read  (D—rf)*-—r. 

Page  164  line  six  from  top,  for  the  areas  a  i  E,  read  the  areas  a  IE.  The 
d  at  the  end  of  this  line  and  the  h  at  the  begirming  of  the  next  line  ought 
to  be  together  on  the  same  line. 

Page  165,  if  the  latter  part  of  table  XXII  is  left  out  300  on  line  four  from 
top  should  be  changed  to  182.  E  at  the  end  of  line  seventeen  and  E'  at 
beginning  of  line  eighteen  should  be  together.  The  same  remark  ap- 
plies to  A'  L'  at  the  end  of  line  twenty-seven  and  E'  at  beginning  of  line 

T  Pa;^  T  Pa?* 

twenty-eight.     Line  thirty  for -j^^r——,  read  --rrvrr-  .?' 

'     ^  ^        3  MM'  3  MM'    >-.y:[-^-::^,0^^ J... 

Page  166  line  fourteen,  for  F,  read  (F).  .  f<r\?.:4i^     '  ■  -^ 

«     169  line  nineteen,  for  2  5'  y,  read  2  &  y^  ' ' 

«     170  line  twelve,  for  109529,  read  109259.  Line  fifteen,  for  120-731, 

v.- lead  120  371. 

Page  198  line  twenty-eight,  for  ^^±^,  read  ^^  ^'^'^Xt. 


■^■>i:^<C^:f.:/^' 


378  Tables  of  Excavation  and  Embankment. 

Page  199  the  working  of  example  7  should  be  as  follows: 


Depth 

H  +  H' 

C.  ys.  from 

H— H' 

C.  ys.  from 

• 

•. ,  . 

in  feet. 

in  feet. 

table  xxii. 

in  feet. 

table  xiv. 

•-.'■■-■ 

00 

'.■«c 

20 

220 

1792 

20 

1 

36 

256 

2427 

16 

0 

tt-i' 

89 

325 

3912 

53 

9 

» ^     ■' 

124 

413 

6317 

36 

4 

-  "*     '  ,' "      "      >■■■• 

140 

464 

7974 

16 

1 

':■-    ■-\^ 

90 

430 

6848 

50 

8 

i         ■         -^V- 

60 

350 

4537 

30 

3 

42 

302 

3378 

18 

1 

21 

263 

2562 

21 

1 

VVh,-.-.. 

00 

221 

1809 
4)41,556 

21 

1 

<^> 

29 

^-..^v 

10,389 

._  ». ,  fc      , 

29 
10,418 

:        ^* 


•p 

Now  - —  =  10,  the  correspondig  number  table  xxii  is  370, 
^370XL,(=  1000)^3^    • 


■■s--:  i^,'. 


100 


10418 
6718 


Hence  6718  X  TO  (=2)  =  13,436  cubic  yards  is  the  total  content  of  the 
excavation. 

Page  200  line  eleven,  multiplied  by  0473,  should  be  placed  opposite  to 
3740,  and  the  inverted  commas  opposite  to  3740  should  be  omitted. 

853 

149 

6 

The  same  remark  applies  to  the  second  method  of  working  this  example. 

All  the  examples  are  carried  out  in  detail  to  show  the  whole  operation  and 
the  multiplications  being  performed  by  the  contracted  method  the  figures  of 
the  multipliers  are  ranged  in  inverted  order  under  the  multiplicand. 

The  number  6046  at  bottom  of  page  200  should  be  placed  over  the  mul- 
tiplier 3820  at  the  top  of  page  201  and  the  "  c.  yds."  and  inverted  commas 
opposite  to  3820  should  be  omitted. 

1209 

484 
18 
Page  201  line  thirty-one,  place  -j^  ( Y  +  y),  etc  =  -2783,  opposite  to  3872 

in  the  line  above. 

Page  202  line  thirty,  the  figures  2214,  should  be  2214-2  and  should  also 
be  moved  one  place  to  the  left  and  so  should  the  figures  under  it  also.  Line 
thirty-three,  multiplied  by  -^  (Y  X  y\  etc.  =  0197,  should  be  opposite  f 
7910  in  the  line  abova  ^i 

Page  203  lines  two  and  three,  for  (A'  —  a),  read  (A  —  a').    Line  tK? 


..K 


Items,  ,:.*a»^^;''  'v^'  ^  -Mlf^'' 


teen,  place  multiplied  by  etc.  =  -0047,  opposite  *7400  in  the  line  above.  Line 
eighteen,  place  multiplied  by  etc.  =0197,  opposite  7910  in  the  line  above. 
Line  thirty-one,  for  (  P  —  p'),  read  (P'  — p'). 

Page  204  line  one  from  bottom,  omit  "  by  formula  (  )." 

Page  305  line  twenty-one,  place  A  X  -5-  =  —„—  etc.  =  0175,  opposite  to 

5710  in  line  above. 

Page 207  line  thirteen,  for  "on  H,"  read  or  H.  -^  <;.  r 


,'rf,;.,'^'^^k-.i-i:      TO  CORRESPONDENTS.  %/    r  i-.^'^^i,. 

We  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  sundry  papers  on  the  late  explosion  of  "- 

-  the  locomotive  Richmond,  and  shall  endeavor  to  lay  before  our  readers  in 

.  our  next  a  general  review  of  the  facts  in  this  remarkable  occurrence.     The 

valuable  papers  of  the  United  States  engineers  we  have  alluded  to  elsewhere. 

-     T  he  report  of  the  Madison  and  Indianapolis  railroad  is  received  and  will 

be  noticed  in  our  next.     An  elaborate  paper  on  the  "  Repeal  of  the  duty  on 

/i  railroad  iron,"  by  Mr.  Casey,  will  most  likely  appear  in  our  January  num- 

•  ,  ber.     The  views  of  the  writer  differ  from  ours,  and  we  confess  that  they  are 

more  in  accordance  with  the  popular  voice,  especially  in  the  mining  region 

.'  in  Pennsylvania.     A  review  of  the  objections  to  a  railroad  in  Broadway,  by 

;    Alba  Kimball,  in  which  the  writer  goes  at  length  into  the  various  ad  van- 

.■■    tages  which  would  result,  and  the  comparative  ease  with  which  the  obsta- 

:>    cles  may  be  overcome.     We  shall  gladly  insert  any  information  from  "  J.  . 

. ;  C."  as  to  the  performances  of  his  iron  steamer,  and  the  merits  of  the  new  pro- 

' ;'  peller,  which  is  said  to  exceed  Ericsson's  in  speed,  and  with  a  saving  in  fueL 

ITEMS. 

The  subscription  to  the  new  stock  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad 
i-^  goes  on  well.     Nearly  all  the  papers  are  out  in  favor  of  it,  and  the  time  is 
';  very  favorable,  as  well  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  capital  as  the  early 
■;    closing  of  the  canal,  which  brings  the  merits  of  railways  home  to  the  com-  ' 
munity.  ; ;.'-;." 

A  temporary  track  has  been  laid  through  the  Long  Island  tunnel,  but  the 
>  revetment  walls  of  the  approaches  are  not  completed.     Bitter  complaints  are 
made  of  the  mode  in  which  the  company  have  conducted  the  work. 

The  rates  of  freight  during  the  winter  on  the  railways  from  Albany  to 

; ..-     Buffalo  are  fixed  at  3,  4,  and  5  cents,  per  ton  per  mile,  besides  what  the 

companies  pay  the  State,  1  and  2  cents  per  ton  per  mile,  according  to  the 

nature  of  the  freight.     From  New  York  to  Albany,  via..^the  Housatonic 

■    railroad,  the  rates  aje  7,  9,  and  12  dollars  per  ton  of  2000  lbs. 

The  use  of  the  Drummond  light  on  railways  has  been  suggested  to  us  as 
likely  to  be  useful  in  inginy  cases. 

The  "  canallers"  at  Montreal  are  very  troublesome,  and  occasionally  i 
shoot  the  citizens  within  a  few  miles  of  that  city,  with  perfect  impunity.' ": 
These  occurrences  cause  public  works  to  be  viewed  with  dread  by  those  in-; 


380      '  To  Directors  and  Engineers.  -  :^  '^ 

the  vicinity,  and  are  cfeeply  to  be  regretted.  But,  after  all,  their  conduct  well 
matches  that  of  the  board  of  works,  and  never  Avas  the  old  adage,  "  like 
master  like  man,"  more  thoroughly  verified.  ''» 

Our  Canadian  neighbors  are  waking  up  on  the  subject  of  railroads,  and 
we  shall  gladly  do  all  in  our  power  to  lead  them  to  the  construction  of 
works  destined  to  serve  the  country,  and  not  to  fill  the  pockets  of  political 
adventurers.  ,  ;> 

We  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  first  and  second  numbers  of 
"  Papers  on  Practical  Engineering,"  from  Col.  Totten,  chief  engineer  of 
the  United  States.  The  second  of  these  has  appeared  in  the  Journal,  and 
the  first  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to  hereafter.  The  style  in  which 
these  papers  are  published  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired,  and  we  trust  they 
will  follow  each  other  more  rapidly  than  they  have  hitherto  done.  We 
would  suggest  that  simple  and  clear  statements  of  work  done  would  be  more 
useful  than  ambitious  papers,  aiming  to  become  regular  treatises,a  fault  into 
which  young  engineers  are  apt  to  fall,  and  to  whom  we  would  point  out 
No.  2,  by  Col.  Thayer,  as  a  model. 


TO  DIRECTORS,  ENGINEERS  AND  SUPERINTENDENTS 

OF  RAILROADS  AND  CANALS.  A 

It  is  our  intention  to  give  in  the  enlarged  Journal  a  table  of  American 
railways  in  the  manner  of  the  English  railway  journals.  We  therefore 
earnestly  request  from  our  readers  a  statement  of  the  length,  cost,  gross  in- 
come, net  income,  dividends  and  value  of  stock  and  such  information  as 
may  be  necessary  to  give  a  correct  view  of  the  present  state  of  the  several 
railways  and  canals  with  which  they  may  be  acquainted.  For  example,  it 
is  important  to  know  whether  the  road  or  canal  is  finished,  if  the  profits  go 
to  pay  interest  on  bonds,  to  extend  the  work,  to  renew  the  track,  etc.  With- 
out these  explanations  many  works  would  be  placed  in  a  very  wrong  light 
and  would  appear  to  be  worthless,  when,  in  fact,  they  were  just  emerging 
from  their  difficulties  and  about  taking  their  permanent  stand  among  the 
roads  paying  regular  dividends.  This  information  is  demanded  alike  for 
themselves  as  well  as  for  the  cause  of  railways  generally.  Many  gentlfr 
men  may  also  be  acquainted  with  the  particulars  of  roads  little  known,  ana 
may  be  pleased  to  give  the  details  of  such  along  with  those  of  the  roads  oi 
canals  with  which  they  are  more  immediately  connected. 

But,  in  all  cases,  we  hope  to  receive  the  length,  cost  to  this  time  *and 
gross  income  of  1843  and  1844  to  November  or  to  the  end  of  the  year,  ap- 
proximately the  amount  as  nearly  as  practicable.  Regular  returns  of  week- 
ly receipts,  as  now  published  by  many  companies,  are  very  desirable  and 
aid  powerfully  in  drawing  the  attention  of  the  public  to  the  large  amounts 
received  by  these  works  even  in  the  most  unpromising  situaiions.  It  is  our 
intention  to  publish  such  a  table  and  we  hope  to  include  many  roads  who 
now  make  only  annual  reports. 


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